


The Lost Prince of the Spade Kingdom

by thelostdoitsu



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alfred - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, America/England Feels (Hetalia), Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur - Freeform, Cardverse, Eventual Happy Ending, Feels, Human, M/M, Resolution, Sad, UKUS, USUK - Freeform, spades
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:07:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 43,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24278584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelostdoitsu/pseuds/thelostdoitsu
Summary: In the Kingdom of Spades,the King is chosen by the possession of a spade shaped birthmark. But when an angry rebellion of the people surges against the monarchy, the baby Prince is sent away for his own safety. 20 years later, farm boy Alfred has no idea of who he is. That is until a royal guard by the name of Arthur, begins a journey to look for the lost prince of the Spade Kingdom.
Relationships: America/England (Hetalia), England/France (Hetalia), France (Hetalia)/Jeanne d'Arc | Joan of Arc
Comments: 1
Kudos: 26
Collections: Hetalia AUS





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I wanna try to finish this fanfic i started 4 years ago on fanfiction.net. Reposting here with minor grammatical edits. enjoy !!!

In the Kingdom of Spades, the future King is chosen by the acquisition of the mark of royalty, a spade shaped birthmark that destinies their royal status. He will then choose his Queen, and together they shall rule the faithful Kingdom of Spades. This has been the way of life of the Spadians for countless centuries.

A certain pair of monarchs were preparing to have their first-born son, their potential heir to the Kingdom. They were excited and filled with glee when they announced the news, but it was a game of hope. If the first-born did not inherit the birthmark, he would be shamed for not being worthy of holding a royal position, and in turn be put to death or left to fend for themselves. Death was merely a gift with consideration to the other options. It was cruel, but it was a belief that the Spadians had, as it had been that way, for as long as the Kingdom lived.  
Though, in time, the proud royals would not be so proud anymore. When the baby finally arrived, the whole of Spades shook with disbelief. The mother nearly fainted, and the father turned his back to her angrily, for the son had no sign of the birthmark of spades, or so they were told.

You see, the people of Spades did not exactly enjoy being oppressed and reduced to mere peasants by the corrupt form of governance. No. They had decided they simply had enough of the unjust penalties and laws the monarchs were implementing on them, not to mention the incredibly high taxes, which had left most of the countryside in poverty. The peasants rose in angry rebellion and formed a secret association within themselves, made up of ordinary farmers, blacksmiths, peasants, and even some of the royal guards who chose to rebel against their orders. That is how they formed their master plan, a plan that would end all tyranny, all monarchs and start for new. They just needed to get rid of the first born and it will all be over

That night, as the baby slept for the first and last day of its short life, the mother, heartbroken and miserable, decided she could not face the death of her son in the morning. And so, in the middle of the night, she sneaked away, her baby boy safety covered in a blanket, and left for the countryside, where she knew she could only trust one person. Her childhood friend that she knew, before she became Queen. She knew she could trust her with everything she had. The Queen arrived at her small cottage, knocking on the bare wooden door and hoping for dear life her baby could be saved. He was.  
After some talking and an exchanging of heartfelt sentiments, the mother parted sadly away from her child, letting go of the last thing she loved and left him to grow up as he was destined to. The Queen left the cottage, sobbing so loudly that it caused some to wake. Some which included the conspirators. They knew it was her almost immediately and they knew this was their great chance. An angry mob emerged around her in no time, and the Queen having no purpose or way to go, surrendered. But they would not fall for simple words. They were bloodthirsty and starving, their minds gone insane from the terrible conditions and lack of food in their systems. They made no hesitation in killing her, leaving the body sprawled on the ground, where everyone could see.

When the King heard of the news, he was more than devastated, his wife and his son both gone, both killed. But even so, he was stubborn and angered, refusing to step down from the throne and only made things worse for the peasants. Though the people knew they would just have to wait, to wait until he grew old and couldn't rule any longer. There was no heir and it was perfect to them.


	2. Farm Boy

*20 years later*  
The Kingdom of Spades was slowly recovering from the terrible famine it had suffered in the last decades. Slowly but surely, the people were getting what they had fought so mercilessly for. Alfred, the first-born of Spadian royalty had no knowledge of his hidden identity. He was a farm boy, who grew up in a small ranch with his supposed "mother". He had gotten quite used to the setting, tending to the cows and chickens everyday with a smile, and taking the time to name all of them. He had a big heart and was compassionate to every living thing, large or small. The boy was well known in the village in which he lived, everyone simply adored him for his charming persona and generous, hard work. He was one of the strongest men, which proved to be extremely useful in the farm. That was Alfred, and he was happy there  
On the other hand, there was a young royal guard by the name of Arthur. He, like most guards, was a loyalist to the monarchy. He was of a fair middle class, not too wealthy, but certainly not a farmer. He had never understood the brutality of the past rebellion, where they had killed the Queen, and fortunately lost the son. It was always a mystery around the kingdom. Who was the lost prince of Spades? Was it you? or you? The people often made fun of it, but most didn't believe he was even alive.  
Though one day, Arthur received the news, along with other guards. The life of the King was in danger. He had caught a bad illness, induced by shock and prolonged heart break, he was not destined to live for long. And all the loyalists were certainly not happy about that. It had come to extreme measures and soon the "lost Prince of the Spade Kingdom' was no longer a myth. Some guards had set out on a journey to find the monarch's first born, assuming he was still alive. The men took their horses and started searching, village through village, knocking on all houses to see if they could find anyone with the birthmark  
Arthur was one of them. He rode along with two of his 'colleagues not friends' as he liked to call them; Francis and Antonio. They rode for a while, making fun of each other and annoying the hell out of themselves until they agreed to split up to get more work done. Arthur rode along by himself to search houses in the vast, impoverished village, but most people just laughed and shut the door in his face, not taking the cause very seriously at all. Soon enough, he was having trouble controlling his temper and trying not to curse at them, for that would not leave a good image. He sighed as he looked around and hesitated to go knock on the last cottage. Though something caught his eye instead. He got off his horse, tying the lead to a post properly, then walked along a fenced ranch to where he spotted a fair haired boy, around his age or possibly younger, talking to a cow. A COW. Arthur couldn't help but laugh, and sneered at him, calling out.  
"Oi! So you are fluent in cowspeak? You must have gone mad with this noon sun, fried your brains out!"  
The unrecognizable voice made the boy turn around with a scowl on his face, knowing that whatever person he was, was not from the village. His assumption was proved correct when he saw the white and blue uniform the other presented, a clear mark of the monarchy. The farm boy had no idea what a royal guard was doing around his home, but he was smart enough to know not to get in trouble. So he simply ignored him, a quite useful technique.  
As far as Alfred was concerned, his life was perfect as it was. He enjoyed what he was doing in life, and never complained about anything, unless he had hurt himself. He loved his mother, loved the farm, and tried his best, but it was as if something was missing. Sure, there were weird things in his life, such as his mother being so secretive about who his father was, and the refusal to answer any of his endless questions. It had been annoying, but it didn't bother him at all; she probably had her reasons and he was to respect them. However, his emotions, behind his seemingly permanent grin and happy demeanor, were rather... watered down. He may have been happy, but he didn't feel like he belonged to the village. He had spent his life on the farm, granted, but it felt like he was away from home most of the time.  
On the day he met Arthur, he had been running around the farm for hours, buzzing with excitement. He hadn't been the sort of person who was fond of the way the country was run, and had heard talk in the town of people searching for that so called prince that had been taken as a joke by so many, for oh so long. And now maybe the country would finally be run in a way that wouldn't make Alfred want to hit the higher powers on the head with a shovel.  
Even so, he hadn't had time to think. He had been occupied with the animals all morning, as they seemed a little skittish. In turn, the farm boy was speaking gently to them, trying to get one that had escaped back where it needed to be. He hadn't been expecting any guards to show up at his home, never mind one directly insulting him, but he was cautious about getting in trouble so he stayed quiet.  
However, Arthur wasn't going to let him go so easily. He noted that the other had ignored him and therefore assumed he had to have some sense within him. He thought about what to say for a few moments, but just decided that it wasn't like they were going to find the 'lost prince' anyways, and he had never actually talked with someone from the countryside. Most of the people hated him as they hated all of the monarchy. Even though Arthur was a loyalist, he did agree that they weren't being treated fairly, he had a heart. The guard was intrigued by the farms and the ranches, so he only hesitated for a moment before he called to Alfred again, his tone changed from the first time, a more casual one.  
"No, really, it's burning out here, I'm surprised you still bother to work."  
The other male merely glanced at him before guiding one of the cows back to its pen, making sure that it was locked properly before walking wearily to where the guard was standing, on the other side of the wooden fence. He wasn't really sure what to expect when he spoke again, more insults, perhaps? If he was being entirely honest with himself, he was surprised that the guard hadn't harassed him once more, it made him feel slightly better about his actions. Once he was within a few feet of him, he hesitated only a moment before he licked his lips and opened his mouth to reply.  
"May I ask what you are doing here?"  
A statement so casual, but he didn't have it in himself to despise the other simply because he belonged to the monarchy. Arthur on the other hand, stiffened up slightly when the other approached him, surprised that his terrible lack of communicating skills had not driven the farm boy away like it did to many others. It just wasn't like him to be all friendly and inviting, he figured the other had better things to do than stay and chat with someone that represented something he had grown to hate. The guard looked down for a moment, about to leave, before he heard footsteps and looked up again. So he had come back. It was a surprise for him so he shifted back slightly, but kept his ground, looking attentively at the other when he asked the question. Of course he wasn't going to sound stupid and say something like, 'I'm looking for the lost prince of the kingdom' That was too childish, he would surely laugh at him!  
"...you have no reason to know of my motives, it's not like I'm trespassing your territory either. It was just bizarre to me...I've never seen someone talk to a cow and still be sane in their minds"  
"Well, you have to have a reason or something. Guards don't just wander through the town like that. Apparently there's a ton of them going all over the place recently, and nobody appears to be taking them seriously, but...I dunno. Oh, and regarding the animals thing, it's also just kinda in my instinct to talk when they're worried. Sometimes it calms them down."  
Arthur sensed that the other had a valid point, but he tried not to show his uneasiness. Instead, he tried to change the subject, back on the cow. That way, he wouldn't be as humiliated, or else he'd have to subtly lie.  
"We are on a special mission for the King, which again, is none of your business! The only reason why I bothered to talk to you in the first place was because the sight was too amusing not to make a comment about. Anyway, what does an animal even have to worry about? They don't pay taxes and they certainly don't pay anything else. They don't even care about their reputation or what others think of them!"  
"Well, if it's none of my business, you shouldn't be chatting here with me. And they don't have their own set of mind, they're starving, we can barely feed them here thanks to your king. Now go away unless your so-called mission involves me."  
Alfred knew this was a bit of a childish way to reply, but he was getting rather annoyed with the guard, being all secretive and everything, he just didn't like that quality. He simply sighed and looked down, loosening his posture to try and not overreact. The other was a guard after all, and the last thing he needed was to get in trouble. Although Arthur got even more infuriated with his words.  
"That is no way to talk about His Majesty during difficult times! Have you any idea what he sacrificed for his Kingdom? No, of course you don't, I assume you're only educated in how to talk to animals, not properly, with books and manuscripts-"  
Arthur cut himself off, sensing that there was no way he could carry on with his duties when his words angered the other away. He restrained himself from insulting him any longer and paused for a short while, thinking about how he could cover it all up. It would certainly be hard, but he knew that if they didn't find the lost prince soon, the whole monarchy would collapse and the Kingdom would fall into chaos and anarchy. At least, that's the way he saw it. The guard sighed and shook his head, lowering his gaze slightly and mumbling.  
"My mission unfortunately does involve you, in fact..."  
Alfred was stunned at this, how could he have anything to do with the monarchy? Was he in trouble? Had he done something wrong? These and countless other questions thundered through his mind as he stared at the other in confusion and anger. His insults had gone far too much to just shrug them off, who did this guy think he was just because he was born into a higher class?  
"Oh, what could you possibly want with me, mister high and mighty? Shouldn't you be looking for someone 'more acceptable' for your time? Huh? If you're trying to recruit more guards, count me out."  
All of the niceness that Arthur had summoned up in his character suddenly left him, and a more sour tone took over his speech, scoffing in reply.  
"Oh no if we were recruiting we wouldn't look in this excuse of a land, we'd look to the finest academies, thank you very much. No, we are-...um...trying to find a certain someone...that has a certain...mark. We need to make sure that none of you have it, that's all, it's for your own good that we do this"  
The guard tripped over some words as he struggled to explain what he was doing instead of outright saying that they were looking for a joke, looking for the lost prince.  
Alfred smirked, seeing he had successfully annoyed him, and wondered what a stupid idea it was to look for one special person among a whole kingdom. It was no doubt that the other was going to take ages trying to find them. Though there was something that stuck with him, the mark that the other had talked about. He knew he had a mark on his body, but when he asked about it, his mother had told him that everyone that belonged to the kingdom was born with that mark. He really hadn't thought much about it, until now. However, he assumed that the other was talking about a different mark, a much more extravagant mark than his, yes that sounds about right. He then thought of something to reply with, but his amusement talked for him instead. "So basically you need to see my body to see if I've got this mark thing? Couldn't you at least have taken me out for a drink first?" He laughed childishly with a grin.  
A small burst of color spread on Arthur's cheeks at his words, simply in surprise that he took it in that sense, but his eyes glared back at him in defiance. He would not allow a nobody to speak to him in that suggestive tone.  
"Watch it, farm boy. I'm just doing my job, it's not like you're the first person I've asked today." He huffed, though what he said wasn't entirely false. No one had actually agreed to do it, and the other man was actually the first one to react in such a way that didn't inflict hatred towards him.  
"Hey, I'm just kidding, unless you don't want me to be." Alfred just laughed, smiling at him and winking, no trace of the anger left. Sure, he was a little mad at him for being so funny earlier, but otherwise... Arthur was alright. He'd had worse encounters with guards in the past. Plus, he knew pretty much everyone in the town, maybe he could offer help, he seemed like a nice guy. "Anyway, what are you looking for exactly? Maybe I could help you somehow." He flashed another smile at him, holding back yet more giggles from his nerves. Arthur simply scoffed at his words, grumbling off to the side in annoyance.  
"Wipe that smile off your face, idiot. This isn't a joke you know! His Highness' life is in danger and if I don't find this special person, I'll lose my job!" He hissed and looked away, not understanding how the other could just be so happy and carefree under these circumstances "..I don't..need your help...I'm fine"  
Alfred's expression got more serious then, and he lightly tapped him on the shoulder, not even kidding around any more as he looked at that guard.  
"Hey, just tell me what the mark looks like, I promise I can help you. I give you my word or whatever you dudes say when making a promise."  
Arthur hesitated a long while before sighing and giving in to his question. It was useless to not tell him after all, he thought. He didn't want to accept the help, but if he wanted the monarchy to live, he had no choice. "..it's the mark of Spades. A spade shaped birthmark, it can be anywhere in the owner's body, that is why it is so difficult to find"  
There was a strange look in Alfred's face now, and he seemed distant for a moment. He nervously chewed on his lip, a clear sign of worry, as well as his foot, which hadn't stopped tapping. He needed something to focus on as he knew that what the other had said was an exact depiction of his own birthmark. Was he different somehow? He pondered and mumbled quietly, "W-why exactly... do you... need to find the person with the mark...?"  
The guard looked at him in confusion, since he thought that surely everyone knew about the Kingdom's tradition by now. Though Arthur decided to aid him in understanding and explained it in simple words. "You don't know? Well, the mark of Spades signifies that a person is of royal status and therefore is the rightful heir, they will be crowned as the new and righteous King!"


	3. Mark of Spades

At that moment, Alfred looked visibly stunned, and began shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Trying not to give away anything, trying to process what he had just came to the realization of in the past few seconds. He gulped, looking down and smiling anxiously.  
"A-Ah... w-well... I wasn't told that...I-..I er... I don't talk to many people, I'm so... busy" He chuckled, but it was lacking the usual glint in his eyes and the wide smile. It seemed forced, which just made it evident that he was partially lying. It was clear that he was a popular person among the village, but as for the mark, he had known nothing about it. Arthur on the other hand, was more than confused, which arose suspicion on the other. He crossed his arms and looked at him oddly with a small scowl on his face.  
"Of course, as you say, though I still need to make sure you don't have the mark. I highly doubt you do, the Prince is most likely to be in any of our academies, though we couldn't find him for some reason. We resorted to looking here, but this was the worst idea someone could ever come up with. I could never imagine someone like the great Prince to be working in a farm."  
Alfred was shaking like a leaf, and it was rather obvious. He had no idea what to do. Should he say something? Tell the truth? No, he would not risk any of it, there was no way he could ever hold that kind of power or position, he did not feel committed or ready. Especially when the other kept insulting him like that, it made him feel like all of the monarchy was the same, stuck up and drunk on power; he didn't want to be that. Though the thought of him being a prince somehow gave a rise to his confidence, knowing he had power over the guard in reality. It also powered his never-ending curiosity. What would his father, the King, think of him? Who was the mother who he had grown up with then? These and many more questions flooded his mind, but he did his best to push them to the back of his mind until he had finished chatting or rather exchanging insults. "Right... because we're not good enough, that's what the monarchy thinks, isn't it? Hah...well you might as well give up on your search because you sure as hell ain't gonna find him with that salty attitude of yours!"

Arthur was very offended in turn, and he grabbed the fence with both hands, leaning towards the other with a menacing expression as he tried to make him regret what he had said. But Alfred was just grinning at him, that sick little grin of his, just plastered on his face, mocking the other with it. "Sodding prat! It is only since the people from the villages hate us, we hate them back, it's mutual yeah? ...You're acting awfully odd, are you hiding something? Do you know who this person is!?" He demanded, as he stared at him accusingly. Alfred fought back the sudden waves of emotion that his question brought, and tried to seem as casual and calm as possible. But the shock of the news was just a bit too much for him to handle at the moment, for him to stay cool and collected. His life was practically a lie.

"N-no! Ha..ha I couldn't know anything I- I'm just stupid like you said, I have no idea what you're on about" Alfred laughed awkwardly, stepping back a little and putting his hands up defensively. However, Arthur was not going to dismiss that so quickly. He shook his head, and reached out to grab the front of the other's shirt firmly.  
"You don't seem like you're very confident in your words...and you look like you're thinking about something else. It's no use, I know that you are definitely hiding something, and I won't stop until I find what it is. Now, why don't we make things simple and just tell me?" The guard demanded, his piercing emerald gaze burning into the sharp ocean eyes of the other, making the farm boy shuffle back, pulling away from his grip.

"I-I'm not hiding anything, I swear! I-..I uh.." Alfred trailed off, trying to think of something that would change the subject and divert the guard's suspicion from him. After a few seconds, his mind thought of something crazy, something that he could only think in these desperate seconds. But he took no hesitation in blurting it out before he thought about it, it was a bad habit of his. "I might know something about this prince, but I'm not gonna tell you until I know I can trust you!"  
Arthur's anger had faded into curiosity at what the other had said, and he slowly let go of him. He stared directly at him to make sure he wasn't lying, and then snickered as he smiled, he was too easy to convince wasn't he? "Very well then, you shall come with me in this search for the prince. I'm sure you have a variety of valuable information for us. So gather your things and make whatever preparations you need to and I expect you to meet me here at noon tomorrow, ready to go.

The farm boy's eyes widened and he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as his breath hitched in shock. He bit his lip and tried not to show the fact that he had dug himself into a deep hole, his own grave. And he wondered how long he could keep this lie going, it was too late to change anything. Alfred looked around uneasily for a few seconds before he sighed and replied hesitantly with a shaky mumble. "I-..o-okay..tomorrow then. How long is this search going to take? I don't wanna leave my mother to do all the work in the farm, you understand right?"  
The guard seemed to be more convinced to trust him and he nodded in understanding. Alfred was right after all, he knew that work in the farms and ranches was essential to keeping the kingdom alive, and even the slightest shift such as the other male missing, would cause a great change. Therefore, Arthur thought about what he could do for a moment before he reassured him. "It will take as long as we need it to take, we won't stop until we find the prince. As for your farm, however, I will make sure to bring sufficient workers as needed to tend to it for compensation. I'm sure I can convince them you are valuable to us, yes?"

Alfred smiled a little at that and nodded, he was beginning to think this would be like some sort of vacation. If he could travel with the other for a week or two, he could perhaps convince him that the prince had died somehow and that the search was useless. Then, he could return to his farm and maybe let the monarchy deal with who the new ruler will be. It seemed like a perfect plan. "Sure! We'll meet here tomorrow then, at noon? Oh, and I never did catch your name by the way."  
"Arthur"  
"I'm Alfred!"  
"Pleased. Now I should probably get going, spread the news to everyone else. Though I highly doubt my colleagues will be joining us since they're quite...intolerable" He chuckled quietly to himself and attempted a small smile at the other, feeling accomplished that he had at least found someone that would guide him. Maybe he could get recognized as the person who brought back the lost prince, recalled him to life. That sounded nice.

"Okay, I better get back to work too. See you tomorrow then, Arthur!" The farm boy waved with a grin, excited for their journey as he hadn't been anywhere else but his home village for as long as he remembered. He bounded away happily to continue his work, shouting then running after a young calf that had managed to sneak away while they were talking. It was a nice opportunity for travel, and to feed his growing curiosity of the world around him. The only obstacle he had was to never let the other find out that he had that mark, but it wasn't highly visible so it wouldn't be too hard, right?  
Arthur simply nodded and watch him leave. He couldn't help but chuckle, though, when he saw the other male running frantically in the direction of the escaped cow, but it didn't seem like he was angry or anything. The boy had a childish, but likable atmosphere around him. It was actually very nice to be around. The guard then turned on his heel and walked back the way that he came from, his spirits somewhat uplifted. He untied the lead of his hose, patting it softly before he climbed on and rode away. But not before he stole one last glance behind him. He could see now that the farm boy had taken up talking to the calf once more, and he was right after all. The animal settled down, leaning its head on Alfred's leg, and soon was as relaxed as ever. It was a peculiar thing, he thought, as he arrived back at the palace. If men were like animals, the lost prince would have no trouble at all.


	4. Travelling Together

The sun had set and risen in the Kingdom of Spades once again, another regular day for most farmers, workers, and villagers. Though it was anything but regular to Alfred. Last night, he had told his mother about leaving, about traveling out with the guard. However, she didn’t seem to trust any of the royalty after what had happened to her friend. She strongly disagreed, pleading for him to stay. But the soon-to-be prince was stubborn, and free-willed. The poor woman acted out of anger then, and kicked him out from her house, her mind filled with horrible, regretful memories, as she had promised that the baby would be guarded with her life. The woman cried alone, sobbing as Alfred sadly turned away from his home and towards the farmhouse. That night, he slept alone with his friends, his cows. Until he was awoken by the bothersome morning sun, which was almost too bright, as if it was making fun of his situation. Arthur on the other hand, was pleased and enthusiastic about finally being able to find the lost prince. He now had Alfred, a step forward in the journey, a hint of where he could be. Well before noon, he rode merrily on his horse to the farm he had visited the other day. Though to his surprise, Alfred was nowhere to be seen. Confused, the guard got off of his horse, tied up the lead neatly, then headed towards the perimeter fence around the property. Why, it looked empty. The rest of the farmers had already gotten up at dawn to begin their duties, but at the lad’s home, not even animals were seen. That is when Arthur realized he could’ve been tricked, how foolish was he to fall! Of course, Alfred, knowing that he had valuable information, must have run away somewhere else. Of course he was against the monarchy, just like all the villagers were, and he had taken the chance to deny handing the prince’s identity to him. It all made sense now. Arthur sighed in exasperation and kicked the fence, thinking the farm was abandoned. He then hopped over it, grumbling to himself as he decided to at least investigate the farmhouse for any clues or information. Once the guard got there, he threw the doors open with a mighty heave, an angry atmosphere around him. The animals that were currently in their pens, sensed the foreign trespasser and quickly became anxious. The cows frantically whipping their tails, the horses trampling their hooves on the ground, and a few sheep bleating out of control. This all worked to wake the poor boy who had fallen asleep on a patch of hay. He sat up with a start, his eyes wide with shock and he seemed terribly worried.

“Wha-! Where- I- Oh no..”  
Arthur couldn’t help but feel ashamed that he had been thinking wrongly about him and cautiously approached him, curious as to what he was doing there.  
“...Why are you sleeping here, have you gone mad?! It’s exactly noon.” he exclaimed, not in anger, but in surprise. The other shook stray pieces of hay from his hair and quickly stood up, trying to straighten his clothes out. He wasn’t exactly in his best mood, but he smiled at the guard anyways, trying to hide the fact that he was just as nervous as yesterday. It was the first time in a long time that he had lied, really lied. He couldn’t help but feel like there was something wrong, just bounding to happen. Though he knew he couldn’t dwell on the thought too much and shrugged it off.   
“O-oh uh, I’m sorry, Arthur. I..I had to tell my mother where I was going and well...she didn’t take it too lightly. She’s very protective of me so I kind of expected her to get angry. But not this angry, she didn’t want me to enter the house last night, so I slept here. With Cowie!” Arthur nodded slightly in understanding, then smiled at his childish nickname for the cow.   
“I see, well she mustn’t worry, I have workers who are willing to tend to the farm while you’re gone. And, what a creative way to name a cow” he chuckled softly. Alfred didn’t seem to catch up with his sarcasm so he just nodded quickly, his eyes starting to bring back their hopeful gleam.   
“Yeah! She’s a babe” The farm boy laughed and turned around to look at one of the cows, leaning in and kissing the top of its head with a grin, then winking at Arthur. Such a sweet, sickeningly adorable sight he had in front of him. He had to glance away in order to stop thinking about it in that sense.   
“Sure. Have you gotten your things packed and ready? Remember, we probably won’t be returning until a few weeks” Alfred paled a little and shook his head frantically.  
“Oh, no, I completely forgot! I- uh, I’ll go do that now, you stay here.” He smiled then turned to look at the cow with a grin. “Cowie, you take good care of him now” The boy giggled then sped to fetch his backpack. He concluded that he would need some extra sets of clothes, snacks, and a book he loved to read. He didn’t really have much aside from that, since most of the countryside was considerably poor. Once he had everything packed, Alfred raced back to the farmhouse, where he found Arthur attempting to pet one of the cows. Though when he saw that the lad was back, he immediately backed away and crossed his arms,  
“O-oh, back so soon? I was just-...looking around”  
“Haha, yeah, I don’t have much. I like ‘looking around’ too, ya know? This’ll be fun! You and me, against the world, on a special mission to find the lost prince!” Alfred exclaimed, his eyes gleaming, clearly very enthusiastic about traveling away from home for the first time. All Arthur could do was roll his eyes with a smile and begin walking out of the farmhouse.   
“Oh yes, dream on. Do remember that you’ve promised to find him, so it is a deed that must and will be done. No excuses.”  
“Yessir!” Alfred saluted him with a grin to show he was serious about it too and followed him out of the farmhouse. He had almost forgotten that he was the lost prince, and that he was the one who had lied to everyone. But with the blinding excitement of his youth, his mind barely came across it. “Where will we be going first?”  
“The neighboring villages, one by one. It is the most efficient way” Arthur responded, turning around to look back at him. “Oh by the way, you should bring that horse of yours. I don’t want to hear you complain when we’re traveling several miles”

Alfred seemed a little uncertain about that and looked down at his feet* “Uh..w-well Spot helps out a lot in the farm, I don’t think it can be managed without him…” The guard couldn’t even sneer at the horrible name, seeing how concerned he was. He shook his head and smiled reassuringly.  
“Nonsense! I paid a couple of farmers to tend to this farm, a large sum as well. I’ll make sure that it will be properly taken care of. Now come on, we don’t have much time.” That did seem to make Alfred the slightest bit better and he nodded quickly, going back into the barn and saddling up his horse. After he was done, he led the horse outside to where Arthur was already prepared and mounted on his own horse. “Ready?” He said, with a more excited tone than usual. It made Alfred grin and he hopped on his own horse, enthusiastically speaking.   
“Yes! More than ever, not c’mon! I’ll race ya!” he teased, beginning to ride out of his farm and onto the dirt path of the village. Arthur, however, was more concerned on the actual mission and yelled after him.  
“Only if you’re leading me to where the prince is!”  
“Ha! ‘Course I am, why wouldn’t I be! Ha..ha, he’s um...over here!” Alfred lied yet again, a funny feeling settling on his stomach every time he told another. It was far easier than to tell the truth, it was almost impossible to tell the truth anyways. Though he knew that slowly but surely, he was drowning in a sea of them, digging his own grave. He had to keep telling lies in order to save himself, he had to.   
“Right, then don’t think you’ll ever ride faster than me, you halfwit~!” the other called once more, a rare grin appearing on his face.  
Alfred smiled and laughed a little, picking up his speed as the other neared him. Yes, this was perfect, he could keep lying all he wanted. As long as he had this, he was fine with lying, as long as he could make Arthur happy.

The pair had traveled together for a few hours now, the sun just about to set. Their conversations were filled with loud laughter and sarcastic remarks with occasional playful banter. Alfred had gotten to know Arthur much more than he ever would have hoped for. He knew what he liked: tea, literature, and gardening. As well as his dislikes: his obnoxious laughter, his face, and ignorance. Or that's what he said to him, though Alfred knew that he wasn't being serious. Arthur on the other hand, had conflicted feelings towards this new person. He could hate him one second, then be blushing the next because of something he said, it was absolutely driving him mad.

"He's definitely not here, I can feel it. So where to next, Artie?" Alfred called cheerfully, riding back from a home he had just searched. Arthur grumbled at his use of that nickname, that one other thing he disliked.  
"It's Arthur! How many times do I have to say it." He sighed then shook his head, looking around. "Well, the sun is setting and most people will be going to sleep, so we can't wake them. I usually go back to the palace at this hour, but...they would never allow you inside" Alfred pouted and slowed his horse to a halt beside him.  
"Aw...sleeping in a palace would be cool though, are you sure they won't let me? I'll be really nice and won't cause trouble, promise!"  
"Alfred, you are trouble" Arthur joked with a laugh, referring to the times that he had accidentally broken into someone's home, almost ran over a field, and nearly trampled a sheep in the last few hours of their travels. Alfred seemed to instantly know the reference and blushed in embarrassment, laughing as well.  
"H-hey I keep telling you it wasn't my fault! That poor sheep was left unattended on the road!" he cried, trying to make him believe, but Arthur shook his head.  
"Ah yes, excuses. Though you know why I can't let you in, we'll have to stay at an inn around here" he sighed, cringing at the idea, though he really hadn't had someone sleeping in the same room as him for a long time.  
"An inn? Okay cool, I don't have much money with me so-"  
"I wasn't expecting you to pay, I will. It would be a lot to ask you to do it, so..I understand" Arthur cut him off and began searching through a small bag he had carried with him.  
"Ha, you have a purse, Art?" The farm boy snickered with a grin, his childish behavior showing.  
"It's not a purse you dimwit, it's a satchel!" the guard retorted with a glare, huffing in disapproval and beginning to ride away.  
"Just kiddin'! Hey, wait up! Wanna see what's in my satchel~?" Alfred rode next to him and winked, causing the other's face to redden. The boy then laughed and rode past him, always finding his blush to be very amusing. He loved to make him blush for some reason, but he loved the fact that he could make him blush, even more. "I think I see an inn up ahead!"  
"Alfred Williams! What the hell did you just say to me? Come back here!" Arthur called after him and raced towards him, wondering what in the world the other had meant by that. Perhaps nothing. He really was a child wasn't he? Alfred laughed loudly and yelled back without hesitation.  
"Nope! Come and catch me, old man!" He giggled, though he wasn't really paying attention to where he was going and raced past where the inn was.  
"Old?! I'm only three years older, you twat! And-...Ha! You do realize you missed the place, right?"  
"H-huh? Oh- what?! Uhn..uh...screw you, Arthur!" Alfred flushed in embarrassment but laughed good-naturedly and turned around his horse, having to make the walk of shame back. Arthur stopped directly in front of the inn with a smug smirk and got down from his horse, patting it gently while he watched the other ride back.  
"You should've been paying attention, but then again, you wouldn't be Alfred if you did"  
"Hey, I was too busy totally roasting you to notice!"

"Excuses~" the guard replied with a sing-song voice, taking the lead of his own horse and walking towards the entrance of the inn. The other male pouted as he walked away and did the same with his horse, leading it to the front of the building and securely tying it to a post. They both then walked inside of the establishment and to the front desk where a lady was sitting at. Both men discreetly glanced at one another, the exact same thought coming to their minds at that point since they wore mirroring expressions. Alfred was the first to act and bounded over to the desk, leaning smoothly against the counter with his signature grin, with Arthur quickly following behind him with a more mature, conserved smile.  
"Hey there babe, your eyes are really cute. Wanna guess what I'm wearing? It's the smile you have me! " He winked at her, his grin never fading and Arthur had to roll his eyes, how had his life come to this? "My name's Alfred, what's yours?" The girl sitting at the desk smiled politely at him, not really knowing what to do with herself at that point, but she kindly replied.  
"I'm Madeline...would you like to book a room for you and-" Her eyes traveled from him to Arthur and smiled politely once again, her voice soft and sweet. "And your boyfriend?" Alfred's grin disappeared as quickly as it came, a large blush showing on his face. Arthur had a similar expression, but it was more horrified and flustered.

"Wh- he's certainly not my boyfriend! What kind of decent person would have him as a boyfriend?!" Arthur retorted out of embarrassment, not really thinking about what he said, only saying it to dismiss the idea that they were together.  
"Boy- H-ha funny! ...not really, this guy's a douche! He's mean and ugly, and can't keep a conversation going. And not to mention those enormous eyebrows like how are they even staying on there?!" Alfred looked towards him as he retaliated back, clearly furious that he had been mistaken for being his lover. The girl looked extremely regretful she had ever said that and wouldn't stop apologizing even after they both said it was perfectly fine. Arthur then took control and kindly asked for a room, just to end the whole ordeal. Madeline quickly gave him a key, apologizing once again and sinking lower in her seat. Once Arthur had gotten the key, he thanked her and made his way to their room, both didn't say a word until they entered the room and shut the door behind them. Alfred was the first to speak.  
"...You- you didn't mean none of that did you? Because I didn't. I like your eyebrows, they're funny and make me laugh, not in a bad way though!" he tried smiling at him, all he wanted was friendship, and he knew he couldn't get it by insulting him. Even though he had ruined his chance with Madeline. Arthur refused to look at him and simply huffed, laying his things on one of the beds.  
"I did mean that I would never want to be your boyfriend or anything like that, it would be my worst nightmare really. But...I can't speak for others, perhaps you'll find someone as idiotic as you and you'll go and live happily together." He chuckled at the thought then finally looked back at the other, wondering why it was impossible for him to stay angry at him. Alfred surged with joy at his words and bounced in his spot with a laugh.  
"Haha, I'd say the same to ya! I'm really glad you're not angry though, we're cool right?"  
"If being 'cool' means that neither of us are angry, then yes we are 'cool'"  
"Nice! I'm hungry though...can we go get dinner?" Alfred asked hopefully, his baby blue eyes staring pleadingly at the other. Arthur of course, could not deny them.  
"Alright, I suppose we can, I saw a market not too far away from here. We'll pick up some things there, how does that sound?"  
"Perfect! I'll meet you outside then? Once you're ready?"

"Please do, I'll be out in a moment" Arthur called out to the other who had just ran out the door. He smiled to himself, organizing his things back inside his bag and sighing quietly. He had just realized he didn't hate Alfred as much as he seemed to. Although he was slightly confused since he never felt lonely in the first place, and usually he hated company. The farm boy's company was nice, though and he, Alfred, had a charm to his personality that made him want to smile upon sight. It was dreadfully odd, so he never did spend too much time thinking about it. Once he was ready, he too went out the door to join the other man, who was bright and enthusiastic as always.


	5. Prince of Spades

Arthur and Alfred had been traveling together for nearly a week now, one making sure their spirits were kept high and the other trying to be as patient with him as possible. The guard concluded that the prince would be hiding somewhere remote, far out in the countryside, so he thought the time spent looking was rational. Though he did have his doubts, since Alfred didn’t appear to be confident in where he was going most of the time. ‘Are you sure you really know where the Prince is?” he would ask. The other would just laugh it off and nod with great confidence “Yeah of course, haha, what kind of question is that?” he would reply, and then it would lead to their usual playful banter. He soon forgot he asked about it in the first place and instead observed the farm boy’s pleasant expression for a few seconds, wondering. He did not know what he was wondering about, but he did it anyways. It was only when Alfred nearly fell off his own horse because he was too busy laughing to saddle it up properly, that he realized one very horrible thing. He had grown attached, and he cared about him. Of course he knew that after the search was over, they would part ways and probably never see each other again, which worried him the most. And he worried because he was worried. How had this boy with the loud, obnoxious laughter and sunny, blond hair with a single strand that always refused to be tamed, how had he gotten him to care? It was a mystery, and he could only hope it wasn’t one sided, since that would be humiliating. Alfred, on the other hand, was happy he had become friends with the guard, it was his intent from the very start. To see those dull eyes he had met him with, shine bright peridot, and to see those pale lips curl up into the slightest smile, always sent the largest burst of happiness to him. He spent his days trying to make him laugh, or smile, or simply cheer up. His priorities were so shifted that sometimes he even forgot that he was the one they were looking for. That he, himself was the lost prince of the kingdom. Nevertheless, they were both happy in each other’s company, despite either of them knowing it. The sun was setting on the last day of the week, and they both decided it was time to retreat and to find a place to sleep. Though Arthur was the first to talk. 

“Another day gone, just like that...it’s been a week you know?” Alfred slowed down his horse, falling into an easy pace beside the other as he smiled.   
“Yeah...it feels like it’s been only a couple of days though”  
“That, I can agree with. But I was thinking we should take a break for a little while, relax, maybe go for a couple of drinks?” Arthur suggested, trying to sound as casual as possible. Alfred shrugged a little and looked ahead at the horizon.  
“I don’t really drink much, but...I’m always up for relaxing!”   
“Don’t worry, it’ll be plenty of fun. Now come on, I think I saw a place back there” he smiled encouragingly, and began heading back the way they had come from, with the other following behind.   
“O-okay, if you say so” Alfred smiled back, though a little less confidently than usual. He was afraid that he would not be able to hold his alcohol at all, and that he would make a huge fool of himself; in front of Arthur too. But if that’s what his companion wanted to do, then he knew better than to be a ‘party-pooper’ and ruin it all. Besides, he said it was supposed to be fun!   
They soon rode back to the bar, tied up their horses, and entered the building. Inside, the room was dimly lit, but several shadows, or people, were drunk already. Alfred bit his lip as they made their way to a couple of wooden bar stools and sat down. He clearly wasn’t used to this type of atmosphere at all. Arthur, on the other hand, seemed like he was an expert at these sort of things. Perhaps because the limited resources of alcohol and liquor were mostly saved for royalty only, making it very expensive and difficult for commoners to obtain it. They sat together at the bar, waiting until the bartender asked them what they wanted*   
“Two ales, please” Arthur told him, smiling back at Alfred who returned it nervously. They waited another few minutes for the drinks, and when they finally arrived, Arthur waited for him to try it.  
“I dunno, alcohol isn’t really my thing...” Alfred started, looking doubtfully at the glass.  
“Have you tried it before?”  
“No.”  
“Then how do you know?” Arthur had a point, he thought. So he decided to give it a try. The farm boy raised the glass to his lips, took a sip, and tasted it. It wasn’t sweet, but it wasn’t terribly sour either. It had a very strange, burning aftertaste that he assumed was the alcohol. It truly wasn’t as bad as he thought, it was drinkable. And that is why about an hour later, he was on his fourth full glass, Arthur on his fifth, and they were laughing their heads off. 

“And that’s why you should never let your cow near your laundry!” Alfred had just finished his story about how his cow had accidentally eaten his underwear, giggling drunkenly. Arthur was laughing just as loudly, a large smile plastered on his face as he leaned closer to him.   
“You’re so stuuupid! Ev’ryone knows it’s the leprechauns that steal your underwear!”   
“Haha! You’re so silly, Artie! I didn’t know makin’ up words was your thing”  
“Heh? Leprechauns are real y’ bloody twat”  
“Pfft- wanna prove it?” Alfred smirked smugly as he leaned in as well.   
“Y’ bet your arse I do!” The other inched forwards again.  
“Hmm...how?” He questioned, now he could feel the other’s drunken breath against his own, their noses brushing.   
“....magic” Arthur whispered, and suddenly the stool tipped over, lurching him forwards and their lips met in an unexpected yet obvious kiss. Neither of them knew what to do with themselves at first, but neither of them pulled away either. After a few seconds, Arthur reacted, but he only gripped the front of the other’s shirt and pulled him closer, making him gasp. The kiss was continued, and this time, they were both kissing back, hungrily and feverishly until Arthur’s stool finally gave away and they tumbled onto the ground, breaking apart. But before they could reunite again, they were kicked out. The two intoxicated lads wobbly made their way out of the building and into the dark of the night, but instead of looking for a place to stay, they stumbled towards the nearest building, which happened to be an abandoned farmhouse. They ran inside, locking the door behind them and Alfred didn’t even have time to make a comment about the giant spider web in the corner as Arthur had pushed him down onto the hay-covered floor. Before he knew it, their lips had been connected together again and the fear was completely erased from his memory. Arthur had clearly been holding back for some time, since his kissing was completely desperate. But he had no shame, taking advantage of the other’s parted lips within a few seconds, and slipping his tongue inside. Alfred couldn’t help but moan quietly at the sensation, never before having been kissed like that, and somehow the thought that Arthur was the one doing it, only made it hotter. He tangled his fingers in the guard’s soft, blond locks, letting himself completely melt by his kisses. It was only when his lungs were screaming for air, that he pulled away with a loud gasp.   
“A-Arthur…” he panted, looking at the other through half-lidded eyes, his face flushed and his lips swollen red from their earlier activity. Arthur looked back at him with the same expression, except his was filled with more mischievousness as he chuckled and began kissing his neck.

“Do you want more? I can give you everything, just say it?” he purred seductively, licking a stripe down the sensitive flesh, making Alfred shudder in pleasure.   
“Mmm...please” he panted, biting his lip afterwards and sliding his arms up to grip his shoulders, wanting something to hold onto. To Arthur, this was all the approval he ever needed, and he smirked as he then started by unfastening the other’s shirt and pulling it over his head. Before Alfred could say anything else, he leaned forwards and began kissing his neck again, sliding his hands downwards to his sides. The farm boy squirmed and let his eyes flutter close, somehow the alcohol seemed to have made his already sensitive spots even more reactive. Arthur continued kissing his neck for a few moments more, sucking on a spot lightly and making a faint, red mark appear. Then he shifted downwards, trailing his lips down to his chest and placed various kisses on the skin, paying special attention to his nipples. Alfred gasped at that and arched his back, tightening his grip on the other’s shoulders, he didn’t even know that he was sensitive there. Arthur certainly did, and he used his tongue to rub against one nub, making him whimper before he sucked on it, making his breath catch in his throat and moan. He played with them only for a while longer, until he looked back up at him, smirking again as his hands fell to his hips, pulling down his trousers in just the slightest. Alfred lifted up his head, his eyes wide with surprise, but his mind felt clouded and his body was aching for contact, he nodded at him. With the approval, Arthur started removing them, but he had only gotten them down to his thighs before he noticed something that made him freeze up. After a few seconds of trying to register it in his brain, his eyes widened and he shuffled back a little, his mouth dropping open in shock. The farm boy blinked as he did so, looking down, but seeing nothing wrong. He felt worried, maybe Arthur had just realized what he was doing, maybe he was sober now, maybe he didn’t ever like him in that way.  
“...W-what’s wrong?” He stuttered out, propping himself up with his elbows. The guard remained silent and in shock, rubbing his eyes to see if he wasn’t imagining things. But it was clearly there. He swallowed thickly and ran his fingers along the mark of Spades, which was located just below his navel. It was there, it was bright, and it was clearly not fake. Angry tears were now threatening to fall from his eyes and he grit his teeth together, looking at Alfred with a sense of betrayal.  
“Prince of Spades, you lied to me!”


	6. Coming Home

Dawn had arrived upon the Kingdom of Spades, and Arthur had already gotten dressed and ready for their journey back to the palace. After the event of the past night, he had ended up sleeping well away from the other, clearly angered by his decision to keep his identity a secret. If anything, he now knew that he couldn’t trust him. He made his way over to where Alfred was sleeping, shaking him rather roughly to wake him up. The boy opened his eyes and stared at him for a second, before he quietly went to look for his clothes, sighing. He felt more guilty than ever in his life, and he knew that Arthur had every right to be angry at him. But now it was inevitable that he was going to be crowned the prince, and that’s what scared him most. He’d be alone, surrounded by other royalty that would probably despise him because of his background, and Arthur probably wouldn’t care. It was all over… well, unless he could convince Arthur to do something else.  
“Hey… Arthur” he started, his voice weak and with just the glimmer of fake hope in it. “ I’m really really sorry, you know that, right? You know why I lied? I’d make the worst prince ever, believe me! I won’t be able to do anything right, the kingdom is better off with someone else!” he pleaded out, putting on his shirt and hurrying up to catch up with the other male, who was saddling up his horse.   
“You’ll learn then. Stop making up excuses to avoid your responsibilities, this kingdom doesn’t have a choice” he muttered dryly, not bothering to look back at him, but the other kept going.  
“Arthur, I can’t! W-What if we do something else then? We can live somewhere else, just the two of us, no one will have to know. I-...I like you, you like me right?” he flushed at admitting it, but he could remember that they both had shared some very passionate kisses the night before. Though Arthur had a different opinion of it, apparently.  
“Let us not ever mention the foolish mistake we both made yesterday. We were intoxicated, we didn’t know what we were doing so… no, I do not like you in that way, Alfred” He looked down, his tone completely void of emotion, but he wanted to convince himself and the other that was the truth. If he ever managed to fall in love with him, he would consider himself the most stupid person in the universe. The future prince’s hope completely shattered, and he could only manage to get his voice above a whisper before he walked away to his own horse.  
“...It wasn’t a mistake to me”

. . . 

After a few hours of awkward silence, short responses, and avoidance of eye contact, the two decided to get something to eat before they continued the rest of the way to the palace. Normally, it would have been a two day’s ride away, but Arthur was convinced he needed to get him there as fast as possible even if it meant riding at night. The pair came across a nearby market which sold bread and a few vegetables, as they were scarce. They bought only a few things before they sat down, eating in silence. It was only a few minutes later that Arthur spotted some very familiar looking guards, talking around the corner. He thought for a moment, then stood up, walking over to where they were standing.  
“Stay here” he mumbled to Alfred as he made his way to the other two guards. They didn’t seem to notice him at first, so he cleared his throat. “Any luck, gentlemen?” The two immediately turned around, seeming quite amused with his presence there.   
“Ah, you’re alive then! I thought you had run away with a pretty farm girl and became a peasant scum, ha!” one snorted with laughter, clearly laughing more at him. Arthur didn’t think it was all that funny, as that idea had been suggested to him in serious terms.   
“No, Francis, I’ve actually done my job, unlike you, and found the Prince himself! In fact, you should be the one running away, since you probably won’t keep your job for much longer”  
“Oh! I feel attacked! Oh ho poor me! And where is this “Prince” you’ve found then?”  
“Twat, he is right over there” Arthur looked back at Alfred, who was innocently trying to find a way to apologize to him. He had thought of flowers, but he would probably shove them in his face. He had thought of a letter, but he probably wouldn’t read it. Though when he felt someone’s eyes on him, he looked up and found he was being stared at by three guards. Quickly, he stood up, walking over to them, was he in trouble?   
“I-is there something you need?” He asked curiously, trying to be as nice as possible. But the other two guards just burst out in laughter.  
“This is our next prince? This farmer?!” the other, albino one, finally spoke, and they both shared a long laugh. Clearly, this was all a joke to them. Alfred frowned a little and glared slightly at them. If this was how everyone was going to treat him, then he’d rather lie for the rest of his life.   
“You don’t fucking believe me do you?! Disgraceful prats, show them your bloody mark, Alfred” He huffed, crossing his arms and looking over at the boy. Sighing, the prince obeyed and slid his trousers down just slightly, so the faintly blue spade shaped birthmark was visible. The eyes of the two guards widened, and their mouths dropped in surprise.  
“Mon dieu, you were right after all! Our hope is dead! The country will never survive if he is in charge! It’s the end!” the blond one wailed.  
“Oh shut it! He may have been raised a peasant, but he still is the son of our King! Show some respect!”  
“Oh of course, very true. Alfred, yes? Just call for me if you need any help adjusting to civilized, noble life.” He smiled as if what he had said was perfectly normal. Alfred on the other hand, had had just enough of the discrimination and rudeness against him, simply because he had been raised in a lower class. He didn’t bother to reply as he stomped away angrily. This was completely unfair! Everyone should be treated equally no matter the circumstances of their birth or of their family. Poor or rich, it didn’t matter, all people were humans, he thought. Arthur rolled his eyes at Francis’ words and told him to alert the palace of the Prince’s presence, before he turned away and ran to catch up with Alfred.   
“I apologize for that, they are complete buffoons who are obsessed with mocking the lower class, like most of the nobility.” He sighed as soon as he had caught up with him.  
“Oh so you’ll start mocking me too then? Well you know what, I’m leaving. I don’t want any of this prince business, I’m going back home” Alfred huffed, his voice mostly angry, but with a slight saddened tone to it. It would have been better if he never allowed Arthur to talk to him.   
“W-what?! No! You can’t possibly do that!” The other grew alarmed as the boy started mounting his horse, as if he was leaving.  
“Why not?”  
“It’s your purpose! Your written destiny, that’s what the mark means!”   
“W-well...screw destiny, I’m not gonna make myself a joke.”  
“You’re not a joke Alfred...they were being awfully rude because they always are. I hate them too, you know. But we need you, Alfred, we have no other choice, you’re the only heir to the kingdom. It will die without you”   
“.....I-I can’t do it, Arthur” he sighed in defeat, hanging his head low and closing his eyes. This was all too much for him, how could he possibly lead a whole county? Just him? With everybody hating him? Arthur looked up at him, then gazed to the side.  
“I believe you can… there’s a reason why you were born with the spade. Don’t believe what everyone else says, you are our awaited Prince. And you were born to lead this kingdom. Most people don’t see the problem with the division of classes. But since you do, you have the power to change it for the better.” he stated firmly, hoping that Alfred would change his mind in the least. The boy looked down at him in slight wonder, then smiled faintly.  
“You really think I can do that?”  
“I’m positive”  
“....That means a lot to me...thank you” He mumbled, his mind slightly swayed for the time being. If Arthur believed in him, then we would make sure not to let him down. Arthur hesitantly returned the smile, after all, he was still slightly angry at him for lying to him. But now he could see why he wanted to avoid all these problems he was getting in.   
“Good, now shall we get going to the palace?” Alfred nodded in reply as the other mounted his horse, and in a few moments they were off again. Only this time, ten times as worried. 

….

The pair had only been travelling for a few hours, when darkness set on them. Despite Alfred’s worries that something would be lurking in the night or hunting them down, the other refused to stop until they got to the palace. They trekked through the dimly lit path of the village, the night quiet and slightly chilly. Alfred made sure to stay close to the other, he knew that his fears always got the best of him.  
“Are we almost there?” He whispered, not sure why he did, but he didn’t want to disrupt the silence, it was almost eerie.   
“Yes, just about half an hour more or so” Arthur replied, focused on not losing his way through the dark. The other didn’t seem convinced though, half an hour was still a long way for him. He sighed and looked around, bored and a little tired. It was then that he noticed something moving in the distant bushes.  
“Wh- AH! THERE! SOMETHING MOVED, WE’RE GONNA DIE!” He let out a loud yelp and bumped his horse into Arthur’s, who gave him a disapproving frown.   
“Quiet down will you?” He hissed, looking around, but there was nothing. “There’s nothing here, you’re just being paranoid!”  
“No, no I really saw something!” He squeaked, his eyes wide with worry.   
“Oh please, just because it’s dark doesn’t mean that-” Arthur was suddenly interrupted by a loud   
howl which stemmed from said bush. It was followed by a variety of distant howls far away into the forest. Alfred yelped and stiffened up, Arthur kept quiet and cursed under his breath as a large figure emerged from the bush. It was about three feet tall, dark and growling as it approached them. As the dim moonlight painted white streaks on the canine’s tan fur, it flattened its ears, bearing its fangs at the two of them. Arthur’s horse was the first to break away, running as fast as it could without its owner having any control over it. He clutched tightly onto the saddle and looked back, only to panic as he saw the wolf had begun chasing him.  
“F-fuck! Run Alfred!” he yelled back as his horse swerved off to the side, making him fall and tumble to the ground. He almost immediately picked himself up and began running. Alfred had almost been frozen in fear, but when he saw Arthur fall, he knew he had to do something or he would surely not be able to make it.  
“ Come on, Spot, we need to do something!” He told his horse, ignoring his shaky hands and focused on the power his adrenaline gave him. He rode towards Arthur, narrowing his eyes and trying to concentrate only on saving him. Though it was difficult to ignore the vicious animal that he had to surpass in order to do so. Arthur looked back helplessly at him, he felt weak and lightheaded the more he ran, his heart pounding loudly in his chest as he desperately ran for his life. Just as the wolf neared him, Alfred neared the wolf, and he got the craziest idea.   
“Turn to the left, then jump when I tell you to!” He shouted at Arthur and began changing his course. Arthur looked at him as if he was absolutely mad, but he really didn’t have a choice.   
“Your plan better fucking work or else” he muttered under his breath, and he used the rest of his energy to turn and run left. Alfred had decided to ride forwards and meet him when they intersected paths, now he was waiting for the right timing. Seconds before it was too late, he launched forwards, riding towards Arthur and the wolf.  
“Jump!” He yelled, and Arthur obeyed. He landed with a groan on the side of the horse, but he didn’t have much time to complain as the wolf’s jaws snapped just inches away from his leg. He quickly scrambled onto the horse, hugging Alfred from behind to hold on as they rode away. Once they were well away from the animal, and once they had both regained their breaths, Arthur was the first to speak.  
“I’m..never riding in the dark again, dear God..”  
“I told you something was gonna happen!” Alfred exclaimed with a chuckle, simply overjoyed that his plan had worked after all. Arthur seemed to be relieved as well because he laughed a little as well, and he didn’t let go of him.  
“Mm..well...only in this case you were right” He chuckled and sighed happily. If anything, a near to death experience makes a person more grateful for life, he thought.   
“Uhuh suuuure! Oh, sorry about your horse by the way, it ran off somewhere, I couldn’t see where”  
“Oh, don’t worry about that, I’m just glad neither of our heads got mauled by that beast!” Arthur snorted at the thought.  
“Haha, yeah, that would’ve been...really bad”  
“Just ‘really bad’? That would’ve been a catastrophe!”   
“You get what I mean m’kay?” Alfred laughed, his cheerful nature was partially restored, and something told him it was probably because Arthur wasn’t mad at him anymore, or at least not as mad.   
“We should hurry back to the palace before anything else happens, I’ll tell you the way” Alfred nodded at that and picked up the horse’s pace. They rode in silence for a few minutes, before Arthur spoke again. “Also… thank you for, well, saving me. I honestly thought that would be the end for me” he mumbled quietly, gazing off to the side. Alfred simply looked back and gave him a warm smile.   
“It’s no problem, I couldn’t have let you die or anything like that! You’re...my friend, whether you like it or not!” That made Arthur chuckle and turn his face back to him. But the sudden movement, and their closeness, left their faces only inches away from each other, making them both blush. Arthur quickly looked down, and Alfred returned to facing forwards. Nothing more was said until they finally arrived at the palace; exhausted but relieved.


	7. Interlude

“Your Majesty, your Majesty!” The impatient words rang out from a racing figure, known as the Jack of the Kingdom, who hurried with utmost importance to the King’s sleeping quarters in the silence of the late night. His duty was to be an advisor for the King, and a right hand man, that was the Jack. He was worried at the fact that the leader did not particularly enjoy being woken up from his slumber, but the reason was with heavy enough worth, that he believed it needed to be done. The Jack, with nimble motions and dressed loose robes which he often wore, finally arrived at the door of the King’s room. He knocked once, then twice when there was no reply, and finally, he had to call out again. “Your Majesty, I bring you the news which may leave you resting in peace after all! Can I not come in? To tell you this miracle?” There was no reply for a long while, so much so that the Jack had almost given up. Though soon there was a sound, the rustling of sheets, and the soft mutter of a sore, raspy voice, which did not seem too happy.  
“Yao, after all these years you’ve been the most loyal servant to me, and even then, do you not comprehend my wishes? I demand to be alone. Take your leave.”  
“But- With all due respect, your Highness, these news will be wonderful for you to hear! It’s about your son, the Prince!”   
“Son…? I’ve never had one”  
“You-..you surely must remember! He, the lost Prince, is alive and well! Alive and well, I repeat! Aren’t you overjoyed? I plead with you to let me speak with you, just a few minutes.” Then it was still again, only the faint blowing of the wind which carried through the ancient palace and its corridors. Until the King gave his word again.  
“Come in, but a few minutes as you promised” Yao took relief upon this and readily opened the chamber door before stepping in, then closed it behind him. He tentatively took a few steps closer to the bed in which the King resided, lying deep in about four blankets of the finest quality, for his comfort.   
“My King, I have the great privilege of announcing to you that your son has returned. From what I can aquire, he labored as a farmer to make a living, before one of your guards found him and brought him home. It’s a miracle! Long live the Kingdom once a-”  
“No!” The Jack was cut off by the now very alarmed monarch. His face was furiously bright red, and large wrinkles were made at the corner of the dull beads of his eyes as he furrowed his brow, seeming to be permanently fixated on the person before him. “No son of mine would ever have the nerve to live as a peasant, a farmer, a disgrace to the noble blood! If it is as you say, then he is no longer my son, he will never be! I refuse to meet him, it is all over, it is no use.”  
“My King, you cannot possibly do something like this! He bears the mark, fate says he is worthy! He lived as a farmer as he did not have a choice, but now he was chosen the right path, won’t you at least give him a chance?”  
“It is much too late for that now, he has been corrupted by the revolutionary ways of the people, he will want to demolish the monarchy and all it stands for! I won’t allow it, I will protect my family and our legacy as long as I take my last breath.” The two stared at each other for a silent moment, both conflicted and uncertain as they had never disagreed on something in years. It seemed like the monarchy was collapsing from the inside as well. The Prince was their only hope to save it, the Jack thought, but the King feared he would burn it.   
“Rulings aside, do you not want to see your son for who he is, young and happy? He is your blood still, no matter.”  
“If he is happy, then he might as well go back to being a farmer, since it clearly brought him those feelings. I will not accept him as my blood, it is unacceptable. I’m simply protecting our lineage.”  
“Your Majesty, do you not know how he will feel? I’m sure he is ecstatic about meeting his father. If you do not see him, the cycle will not be complete”  
“Which cycle do you mean, Jack?”  
“The cycle of this generation. If you do not complete the cycle, it will repeat onto the next generation, meaning that he will have troubles building his own family. Simply because the cycle of the son and father wasn’t completed in the past generation.”  
“Yao, I respect you as you do me, but I cannot base my decision off a myth”  
“Even if it is a myth, you must give some consideration to his future”  
“I beg to differ, he is no longer of my concern. You are dismissed.”  
“But- your Highness, you cannot do this to him-!” The Jack persisted, wanting to make the King see the Kingdom would fall apart without proper guidance. He needed an heir, but he was not accepting it.  
“I’ve already done so, now, you are dismissed” The monarch sternly replied, giving the old friend of his, a hard glare. Yao did not speak again and simply dipped his head respectfully, hesitating for a long while before he finally walked out of the room. The Jack then retired to his room, troubled and concerned for the future of the new Prince. The King on the other hand, had barely moved from his spot since then. He lay back only and stared at the ceiling, distinguishing shades of the fading paint and blinking quite a few times to save his dignity.   
“I won’t let them harm him, Amelia, I won’t let history repeat. Am I doing this correctly? I do not know...I won’t ever know. I just know that he will be safe, he won’t become part of this cursed family, yes, he will be safe, I promise. Soon, I will close my eyes to this world, but first, I must write.” He whispered to himself, a very strange smile tugging at the end of his broken lips.   
***  
That night was the last for the King, as in the early morning, he was no longer. As inappropriate sunlight filtered into the room it highlighted his face which seemed unusually peaceful. Everything was golden, everything was still. The King was dead, and his last words were written on a small piece of parchment, that he held so tenderly between his cold fingers. It would be read at the ceremony, the servants decided.


	8. Procession

The people of the Kingdom rejoiced at the news of the King’s death. It was one of the brightest days since decades ago, and they laughed and danced for they were free of the tyrant’s reign. Back at the palace, the mood was the complete opposite. Nobles were weeping, lamenting the death of a good man who was turned sour by the people's’ uncivilized ways. That is why they dressed and prepared him in the most extravagant of caskets, lined with blue poppy, the flower of the Kingdom. They laid the fallen King beneath layers and layers of the softest silk and pillows, making death as beautiful as possible to mask what really drove him to die. The casket was blessed and brought forth in the center of the palace so everybody would have a chance to speak and pray some words before the ceremony, which would take place in the evening that day. As this all was occurring, the Prince was locked away in his room, covered in blankets and trembling at the fact that he would be the only one in charge. No family, no mentors, no siblings, he was undoubtedly alone in the world of ruling. Alfred shut his eyes, his face pale, and his palms sweaty. He couldn’t lead a kingdom, let alone a divided one, there was no possible way. He drowned in those thoughts for nearly hours until he heard a knock at his door, then a familiar voice.

“..Al- your Highness, may I come in?”  
No, no no, that title being spoken in such a way, was not for him. Though he didn’t have the energy to say otherwise and he kept quiet. It came again.  
“It’s me, Arthur...are you alright?” He heard the words, so very far away, it was almost as if Arthur was in a whole other room. And yet, he didn’t reply. What good would that do? It wasn’t as if talking would make everything better. He never really had been this troubled in his life before, everything had seemed so easy until he met Arthur and discovered he was a prince. Yes, he had all the luxuries in the world now, but he would never be able to enjoy them. Not even Arthur could-- His thoughts were interrupted by the turn of the doorknob and he tensed up. Had he forgotten to lock the door? Someone stumbled in, seeming very rushed to do so and searched around almost frantically.  
“Alfred? Alfred! Where are you? Are you in here? Please, answer me” His voice rang out, worried and slightly shaky. Did something happen? Alfred thought. Slowly and wearily, he finally rose from the covers, looking pale, saddened, and with his hair matted. It came as a surprise to him that he stared back at Arthur who seemed to have the same expression, except he was dressed up neatly as always. The guard looked extremely relieved that he had found the prince and smiled a bit, sighing loudly. “Thank god, you are here...I thought- well with everything that’s happening so suddenly, that you’d...give up. Run away or-...” he trailed off then, his expression serious in contrast, before shaking his head and dismissing what he was about to say.  
“No, I-...I wouldn’t be much of a hero if I ran away from my problems, even though I’m not gonna lie, that’s pretty much what I wanna do right now.” The Prince smiled sadly and sighed, sitting up a bit more, but still keeping himself covered with the blankets. Arthur simply sat down beside him and gave him a sympathetic smile of his own. Of all people, he knew Alfred didn’t deserve to feel that way.   
“I understand, there is so much being expected of you at this time. But I truly believe you will be able to pull this country together again. Tonight, at the ceremony, you’ll be expected to make a speech and, well...it would be in my best interest to help you. It is unbeknownst to most, but some of the nobility want unity as well.” Alfred stared at him for a second as he spoke, listening thoroughly to everything he said. He believed in him, Arthur of all people! He couldn’t help but smile at his offer and nod slightly.   
“I..I wouldn’t mind that at all! I honestly wouldn’t know what to do without you, thanks Artie” he laughed a little, despite still feeling nervous and anxious about everything. Arthur returned his smile with a more cheerful tone and shifted closer to him without realizing it. 

“It’s not a problem, I brought you here after all so I’m the one at fault for the burden being placed on you, I’m sorry” At that, Alfred quickly shook his head in protest.  
“No, don’t be! It’s not your fault, Artie. It’s only that...I’m not used to this at all. Being pampered, treated like royalty, being a leader of all things.” he shrugged and looked down, wondering what the other had in mind for his speech.   
“I know, it’s only been a couple of days, even less than that. But you’ll get accustomed to your new life here soon enough, and when you do, you’ll be able to think clearer about the future.” Arthur comforted and looked around for some parchment and something to write with. “If you want, we could start right now. Unless you have other things pending?” Alfred looked up again and shook his head at that, standing up as well and trying to straighten out his hair.  
“Oh, I don’t have anything so I guess we can do it now. Do I have to memorize it?” He asked quietly, hoping that he didn’t because he was terrible at those sorts of things.   
“Not unless you want to, but it would make you look more professional, I suggest just taking this piece of paper with you” Arthur smiled and walked back to the bed with the supplies he needed. The Prince was about to say something else, but he thought otherwise and stayed put. Arthur seemed so confident about it, he couldn’t possibly tell him that he couldn’t read, and risk him getting angry at him. “Shall we get started with the opening sentence?”

The first draft of the prince’s speech was finished after a few hours. It was made up of complex, lengthy language that Alfred had never even heard of. So once he looked it over, not knowing what it said, he just smiled and nodded. “That’s-..that sounds perfect, Artie! Thank you!” Arthur on the other hand sat up proudly with a grin on his face and folded the parchment then handed it to him.   
“You are very welcome! With this speech no one is sure to doubt your abilities in leading this kingdom, or doubt you as a whole.” Alfred smiled at that and simply stared at him, taking a second to appreciate the look of determination in his eyes that seemed to make his whole face light up, almost like an angel. It made him content to see such expression on someone who was usually grumpy and stubborn. Though after a few seconds of silence, the angel turned away and stood up from the bed, Alfred only followed.   
“Are you leaving now?” he asked after him.  
“Yes, I believe I’ve finished my duty here...unless you need something else?”  
“Uh- no I don’t need anything...but- you’re sure this speech is gonna work?”  
“I’m positive of it, just trust me, your highness” Alfred turned a bit pink at the title and he decided to tell him then.  
“Er- you can just call me Alfred y’know? I don’t care for titles like that, not with you, it’s weird. I’m no highness or royalty, it’s still me” he smiled, hoping Arthur would understand. Arthur just looked at him for a moment, hesitating on his response because it wasn’t very proper to call him by his first name now. Though then again, it was odd for him to call him his highness as well since he knew him before as only a farmer.   
“Alright..if that’s what you want. But I’ll only do so in private, I don’t want any rumors spreading around or anything” Alfred happily nodded, relieved that he had accepted his request, and truly he felt less nervous after talking to him, opposite to his beliefs.   
“Yup! That’s fine with me, Artie! So...see you at the ceremony then?”  
“I believe so, 7 o’clock sharp, don’t you dare forget. And remember to sound confident, that’s what will sell it all”   
“I will don’t worry! Uh, thanks again!” Alfred grinned and waved a little as the other opened the door and walked away, leaving him alone once more to think about how on Earth he would be able to give the speech without being able to read a word on that script.

The evening arrived soon, not giving nearly enough time for Alfred to attempt to practice the speech. The preparations were set, and the King’s casket had been carried to the grand hall, now closed, so it could be buried in the small gardens along with the family’s past ancestors. Dinner had also been made for after the ceremony, but of course it was only for the nobility’s enjoyment. The crowd of peasants, farmers, and workers gathering outside the palace walls, would only get the slightest view of the ceremony, including the speech of the prince, in which he would be standing outside on the balcony. The nobles had originally taken safety precautions in keeping them well away from the body of the person they had come to hate, and therefore, they were not allowed inside the palace. Alfred had watched this all take place from the large window of his room, not even attempting to get ready as he had found that his wardrobe was a whole other room composed of odd suits he had never even known how to wear. It seemed that the slightest motivation Arthur had given him now was long gone. He sighed as he pressed his forehead against the cold glass and prayed to anyone listening that he would get through this. Just then, there was a knock at his door, and he straightened up, guessing it must be Arthur. He walked towards it and opened it with a smile, which faded almost instantly as he saw he had been wrong. It wasn’t Arthur, it was a few servants who insisted on helping him get ready. The prince was a bit hesitant at first since he didn’t really like the idea of strangers stripping him down, not to mention he was a bit self-conscious about his slightly chubby body. But he knew that he would have no clue how to get ready himself, so he agreed. Once he let them in, they started filling up the bath for him while the very stripping he was afraid of ensued. Though they were kind enough to give him a robe for his troubles, making him feel slightly better as the bath filled up. Then, when it came time to choose a suit, he didn’t even have to do it himself, to his relief. Alfred let the servants do their duty and dress him up in the surprisingly soft fabrics, which were a little too tight fitting for what he was used to, but he didn’t want to complain. Now clean and dressed up, he thanked the servants, though that only made them look at him awkwardly. Was a prince not supposed to do that? He wondered. Nevertheless, he made his way downstairs after the whole ordeal, avoiding the stares and glances the other nobles gave him. What would it take for him to fit in? Did he even want to fit in? With a sigh, he searched around the sea of the crowd for the only thing familiar to him, Arthur. After some lengthy minutes of looking, he finally found him in a corner, seeming to be alone. He approached him with a relieved smile.

“Hey…” Arthur looked up at the voice, his eyes almost immediately widening as he saw him. He straightened up in his spot and blinked a couple of times to make sure he was looking at Alfred. He was. But this Alfred was- indeed looking like a prince.   
“O-oh, you’re-...actually here on time.” He replied after a few seconds, returning his smile with a hint of bashfulness.   
“Of course I am! What makes you think I wouldn’t be!” the other pouted for a second, a childish charm of his that made Arthur sure this was definitely Alfred.   
“Oh nothing, just that the first time I told you to meet up with me, I had to go on a little quest to find you” He chuckled softly, ignoring how well the suit fitted on the prince.   
“Okay that was one time! One!” Alfred argued with a laugh of his own and shook his head.   
“Well could I possibly know you wouldn’t do it again?”   
“Erm..well..” he started, a bit embarrassed to say. “A few of the servants kinda showed up and got me ready and stuff. They were really nice though they gave me a weird look when I thanked them. Was I not supposed to do that?” Arthur narrowed his eyes slightly as he talked, his expression evident with disagreement.  
“Oh...so they dressed you up and everything…? That’s- yes, yes that’s awfully nice of them..” He mumbled, though his tone didn’t seem like he was genuine about it. “As for your question, it’s only a matter of class difference. You were supposed to take their help for granted as it is their duty” Alfred leaned in closer to try to figure out the expression he was making, but he was too absent minded to know it was a sentiment of jealousy.   
“Oh...but I really wanted to thank them anyways, isn’t it good manners?”  
“Indeed, but they are already being thanked enough by you allowing them to aid you like that.”  
“Um...okay...I guess I get it” Alfred mumbled, still unsure why classes really mattered. Just because they weren’t born with a special last name didn’t mean they were less of a person. He thought about explaining that sort of concept to Arthur, but his mind was distracted by the resonant sound of a horn which he could only infer, is what started the ceremony.

Arthur looked up as well and started walking towards the chairs that were set up in the hall. He took a last glance at Alfred, then motioned for him to keep on going ahead to the first row of chairs while he stayed near the very back . Alfred thought he would get to sit next to him, so this came as a surprise. He could only stare back longingly for a few seconds before the wave of people carried him away towards his designated spot, the front row with the most important of nobles at his sides. The high class suddenly stopped talking as he sat down and instead started whispering to one another. It wouldn’t take an expert to know they were talking about the new prince, and Alfred could feel his cheeks heat up on the slightest, trying to make himself as small as possible in his chair. They were judging him, and hard. This was definitely the worst. Though it only continued for a few more minutes before the strange horn sounded again and a hush fell over the crowd. The ceremony was beginning.   
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to mourn for the doleful death of our King. He was found this very morning, resting peacefully in his room chamber, with a note. We will read said note at this moment” the speaker, which Alfred assumed to be the King’s advisor, opened a folded piece of parchment before clearing his throat and reading it aloud. “By the time this is read, I will have already passed, faithful subjects. My will has been stored, as you all know, in the royal library, but I have a request to make aside that. This request involves the Prince and his coronation, which, I demand, be a matter of his choice. If the Prince does not wish to take on the throne, then he will be sent back to his home and never be allowed inside the palace walls again. Yao, the Jack of the Kingdom will assume ruler with my permission” At that moment the speaker had to stop, and Alfred noticed that it was because he was probably the one mentioned. Yao looked more uneasy than honored, but he kept reading nonetheless. “If the Prince wishes to be coronated, then the ceremony is to be held immediately after my burial. Because of his inexperience, the very person that found him, and brought him before the Kingdom, will take on the added responsibility of being his personal servant. Signed, King Jones.” There was a long silence after the note ended, and Alfred could feel gazes shifting towards him. He tried his best to remain calm, though his palms were sweating again and he was trembling slightly. All he knew was that everything was suddenly speeding up, and terribly so. It was as if he were only a child when he came, and suddenly he was expected to act like an adult. Everything new was rushed, everything new was bad, and he only wanted to stop time, to take a moment to enjoy his life. But he knew that would never happen, not now that responsibility had been placed on him as if he was a dump for people who did not wish to take it. “Who is responsible for locating His Highness?” Yao asked, looking out towards the crowd where everybody kept silent, not wanting to be degraded to a servant, especially for this Prince. Arthur took this long moment of hesitation to think thoroughly about it. Yes, he wanted Alfred to become King, but a servant?! After endless debating in his head, he took a breath and nervously stood up. Everyone, including Alfred turned to look at him, but everyone stayed silent as Yao only gave a nod in recognition before Arthur sat down again. “His highness will make his decision after the ceremony, now, we will move on to reading the will-”  
“No, I will make my decision now” Alfred suddenly interrupted, and if anyone wasn’t paying attention to him then, they were now. He wasn’t even sure why he spoke out so suddenly, maybe it was the anxiety, or maybe it was the cowardice of not being able to be alone with that decision on his mind. Though now that he recalled, the note said that if he refused to be a ruler, he could never go back to the palace, which meant he could never see Arthur again. Arthur...his friend...or possibly more. That was not an option. At the moment of silence he created, he heard two nobles whispering off to the side what he could make out as:   
“We shouldn’t even give a pathetic farmer a choice, he will ruin our kingdom anyway” Alfred grew furious at that, he didn’t want them to think he was afraid or that he couldn’t take the responsibility. Oh he’ll show them he could!   
“I-...I choose to become King!”


	9. King of Spades

The gathering basked in the silence that lingered after Alfred announced his decision. The Jack only dipped his head and began reading the rest of the will, and the soon-to-be King sat down again. His head was filled with anxious determination that overshadowed deep fear, a feeling that would keep within him for a long time. After the reading of the will was complete, a few of the selected nobles rose and walked to carry the past King’s casket to the gardens outside. All the other nobles followed the procession outside where the priest spoke a few words lamenting his death, then lightened up the mood by describing his legacy. After that, the ones who wanted to speak, did so. Each saying a few words about their relationships with the King. It was finally then that they closed the casket with heavy hearts and lowered the deceased King to his eternal grave. Alfred was one of the people nearest to the casket, but he did not speak, or say anything for this person was near a complete stranger to him. He felt guilty that he didn’t even feel the slightest bit of sadness, seeing the casket go down to the ground, but he knew he couldn’t force himself to mourn either. All around him were tears and cries of sorrow from the rest of the crowd, it seemed to him that these people, in fact, did love him. It made him wonder if any of these people knew what the King made the rest of the population out in the countryside endure. Would they be crying still if they found out their King was a cruel man? But Alfred realized his view was just as biased, and he wondered if he was even cruel at all. These thoughts and more were thrown away when he remembered that he had a speech to make after. A speech that he could not read, therefore he had to recite it from memory. The funeral was soon over and he was panicking more than ever. Some servants led him to a balcony that out-looked the whole of the Kingdom and to his mortified surprise, masses and masses of people were already gathered outside. He would have admired the view if he wasn’t currently trying not to pass out from sheer fright. The sight was absolutely beautiful as well as overwhelming. He could see far out to the tips of the mountains that bordered the Kingdom, as well as down to the sparkling blue lakes scattered across the region. He remembered waking up early to haul water from one of them and bringing it back to his home. Everything in its whole was out there and he...he owned it? Talk about responsibility, he would surely mess things up! Now he was starting to regret accepting the role of King. Oh, he really wished Arthur could be here. With a large sigh, Alfred stepped out to the balcony, his hands shaking, his knees trembling. He had never felt this nervous in his life. Looking down, he could see some of the nobles and servants, who seemed very tiny; it was almost ironic that he was afraid of them. Even so, he searched around, only to be disappointed when he couldn’t spot Arthur. The Prince cleared his throat, and at that moment, everything seemed to go silent. That was his first taste of power, and so he began:

“G-good evening ladies and gentlemen. I..know I’m not the King or leader you wanted, or deserve or even need, but know that I will try my best to keep this Kingdom from falling apart.”  
Arthur, who was watching from below, stared up in shock for he wasn’t following the written script at all. What was he thinking?!

“It’s true that, I was once a farmer, but there is nothing wrong with that! Nothing wrong with being someone who is considered the lifeblood of the nation. It’s the farmers who keep the food and resources growing, and I believe they should be given that acknowledgement. That’s why I will lower the taxes on anyone living outside the palace, for they give much to the Kingdom and don’t demand anything in return.”

At this, the people outside the palace gates were pretty happy. It also helped that some knew him personally and were supportive of him whether he knew it or not. But the nobles were furious, he could tell in how the atmosphere shifted rather quickly, they were mad.

“As for the people currently in the palace, I will make sure to follow in the footsteps of the past King, and I will learn all your ways as best as I can. I give my promise that I will learn tradition without question. I won’t make any crazy or weird decision without consulting the Jack first.”

He bit his lip nervously, wondering if that was enough to balanced the needs of both classes. 

“But everything else aside, I think the biggest problem with the Kingdom is that the people are too divided. The royalty dislikes the poor and the poor dislike royalty. I think that’s the most important thing to fix here. If we could all learnt to stop the hate, the Kingdom would function much smoother. It will be good for everyone! I’m not saying we have to change the whole system, but maybe we should change it somehow so everyone has equal respect? We are all humans here, blueblood or not, and I believe we are all entitled to some form of respect. Everyone wants to be respected right? I know it’s a hard dream to achieve but it won’t stop me from trying! I genuinely want to make this Kingdom better and I will! Because I’m not doing it for the power, I don’t care about the title, I only care that everyone is safe and satisfied because no one should feel otherwise!” 

He was nearly shouting by now, and it was evident that he was being truly passionate, communicating his message as best as he could. Arthur was angry that he had dismissed his pre-made speech, but he was also slightly relieved that he actually didn’t say anything that stupid. Well, the whole dream thing was stupid because it would never come true, but at least he found a way to sell the idea with a confident and convincing voice. Confidence is all that mattered. 

“So now, that you know a little more about me and what I want to do here. I just want you all to have some trust in each other. It doesn’t have to be much, but remember that you are just as important as I am to this Kingdom.” 

Having ended his speech, Alfred stepped awkwardly back, wanting to get away from the overwhelming crowd as soon as possible; however, he was not expecting the applause he got. It was small at first, but it gradually got louder until most people were clapping. He was confused at first because he really didn’t think he deserved that, but he smiled and bowed a little afterwards. He felt amazing, for once he felt like he had done something correctly. So he left the balcony with his head held high and his spirits lifted. That is, until Arthur found him. He was walking up to his room to rest after the dinner, when he was stopped by a familiar voice. Alfred quickly turned around and nearly hugged him when he saw him, except the other pushed him away.  
“You made me write a whole speech for you, and you didn’t say a word of it you twat!” he hissed quietly, making sure no one could hear them. Alfred’s smile fell, he had only wanted him to feel proud.  
“I- I’m sorry! I really wanted to say your speech, but-..but-”  
“But what, you idiot!?”   
Alfred took a deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment as if trying to find an excuse, but his mind was blank. He opened them again and looked at him in embarrassment then grabbed his arm and ran toward his room. Once he got there, he pulled a very confused Arthur into the room with him and closed the door behind them.  
“I can’t read okay!” he blurted out, covering his face with his hands in shame. Arthur would surely make fun of him now. Arthur, instead, blinked in surprise for a second, before he looked down, seeming to be in deep thought.  
“You-...are you serious?”  
“Yes! Yes, I’m pathetic aren’t I?”  
Arthur went quiet at that, then looked up again to gently remove Alfred’s hands from his face.  
“No...that’s well...incredibly foolish! As well as brave….I should’ve assumed you didn’t know how to read, you’re a farmer after all, it’s not required of you…” he mumbled, looking down again. Now he felt like the stupid one. Alfred’s eyes light up slightly at his mention of him being brave, and he couldn’t help but give him a tight hug, really needing the affection himself.   
“..thank you...thank you, Artie” he sighed, burying his face in his neck. Arthur felt warmth flood his cheeks at that, but he really didn’t have the heart to push him away.   
“I-it’s..Arthur…” he grumbled, something which only made the other laugh. 

***  
The next morning, Alfred woke up to a knock at his door. He lazily got up, half asleep and rubbing his eyes and opened the door only to reveal a crowd of servants. Before he got the chance to even ask what they were doing there so early, he was shoved into the bath with a brief explanation that today, was his coronation day. Coronation?! So soon? He thought. It had literally been a day since he voiced his decision to become King! Though he could understand why they were rushing. He hadn’t been to the countryside since he got to the palace, but he could tell by the sounds and actions of the nobles around him, that it was falling apart. Without a leader in proper from, anything could happen, really. But the leader was Alfred, and he didn’t know if he could stop it all from happening. Now bathed and dressed up in what he could only assume were the coronation garments: a royal blue suit and cloak, complete with fluffy white fur around the neck and edges. It had several layers, which he found extremely uncomfortable and tight, but it made him look very kingly. He stared at his reflection several minutes in the mirror after the servants had left. He almost couldn’t recognize himself, ironically, because this was who he was meant to be. He couldn’t help but feel unprepared for what was about to happen. It was him just being carried off by a flood of uncertain future, and he wasn’t doing anything to stop it. Before he could contemplate the meaning of his life any further, another knock was heard at his door. With a sigh, he wearily walked to open it, and to his surprise and slight relief, it was Arthur. 

“Ah, sorry I didn’t realize that they were meaning for today to be your coronation day. I should’ve gotten up earlier.” he said, looking off to the side as he apologized. It seemed like he had woken up a few minutes ago. Oh, he looked even cuter with his bed hair, Alfred thought. 

“No worries! It’s not like I have to write another speech, right? ...right?” He bit his lip, hoping that wasn’t the case. He got even more worried when Arthur hesitated. 

“Er, no, not a speech. You do have to memorize a few vows. They aren’t too difficult and there’s no reading involved though” he smiled a bit, trying not to overwhelm the other too much. “May I come in?”

“Oh, sure, yeah” Alfred mumbled, stepping off to the side so he could pass by. He then closed the door behind him and sighed. “Vows huh? Great...I really hope I don’t fuck up or somethin’, then have everyone be all offended” he sat down on his bed then let himself fall back, staring up at the ceiling. Arthur frowned a little at that and sat slowly beside him.

“These rituals are of utmost importance you know? They can’t be taken lightly, but the vows are really simple. With practice, you should have no problem”

“Yeah I know….it’s just that I have to memorize a bunch of stuff and things. And everyone expects me to be perfect and act all king-like, and be some sort of hero to this whole...situation. I just don’t think I’m cut out for this kind of job. I mean, I’m only twenty. A year ago I was a teen! I could go on making excuses, but I know you’d hate that” he turned his gaze towards Arthur, a deep sadness in his eyes caused by such conflict. Arthur could only stare back with his most sympathetic smile as he leaned closer. 

“It’s this conversation again, isn’t it? That you are not good enough? Well, even though I know I can’t convince you to believe that you are this miraculous hero, because really, it’s an impossible feat, I can safely say that your effort is outstanding. I mean, here you are, you have been a farmer all your life, know nothing about the monarchy, you don’t even know how to read for crying out loud! And here you are, you cleverly improvised a first speech, you are trying your absolute best to fit in where most people hate you, and you are accepting to take place as ruler. You are accepting to take all that responsibility for the sake of this kingdom. That’s, I think, an honorable and courageous thing in itself” Alfred could only stare at him in awe as he heard his words, feeling his chest tighten a little, and feeling little butterflies around his stomach. He blinked for a second before he quickly sprang up and tackled him with a tight hug. Arthur gave a little yelp of surprise, his eyes widening as he was unexpectedly hugged. 

“Thank you, Arthur...you’re literally the best person here. I- I needed that...a lot.” he sighed, resting his chin on the other’s shoulder. Damn, he was really soft and warm to touch. 

“O-oh, you’re...very welcome. I did try my best to uhm lift your spirits. You deserve it after all since, you’re taking a burden for all of us” he replied, starting to awkwardly hug him back. 

“...you’re also, really cute” Alfred mumbled, not really meaning to say it out loud, but it had come out that way. Warmth began rushing towards Arthur’s cheeks when he said that, and he pulled back from the embrace almost immediately, looking at him in disbelief.

“Did you just-...no I-..I’m n-not cute!” he managed to splutter out, leaning away from him. Alfred quickly realized his mistake and tried moving closer to him, in an almost pleading way.

“B-but, I really do think so! The way your face turns all pink when I say stuff like that and the way you talk and act and everything about you is just so..so cute!” he exclaimed, reaching to take hold of one of his hands. That’s when he realized he had gone too far, since Arthur snatched his hands away and stood up from the bed. 

“You- you idiot! You can’t say things like that about me!”

“Why?! They’re all true!”

“You just-...can’t! It’s not proper, it’s not right, it’s not allowed, I could go on with the reasons.”

“Fine, but I can’t even touch you now? What’s that about?”

“Touch me?! I never said you could in the first place, you twit!” he shouted, glaring at Alfred who was now just as upset. More upset than angry. 

“O-oh yeah? What about that night when we went out drinking? You could really touch me then couldn’t you?! I still remember!” Arthur’s face was bright red now, whether it was from anger or embarrassment, or maybe both. 

“I’ve already told you that it mean nothing! I don’t like you in that way! That bloody night never even happened!” He hissed, then quickly headed towards the door, opening it rather brutally. “Don’t you dare follow me, either.” He huffed his final words before stepping out and slamming the door shut. He then stormed away to clear his mind, exiting the palace and heading towards the gardens. Alfred simply went silent after he said that and stared at the shut door as tears threatened to fall. They did, eventually roll down his cheeks, but he made no sound. He was completely disheartened and angry at him. How could he be so ravishing and perfect one second, then have the will to completely shatter his heart the next? It was painful, but he couldn’t get him out of his mind no matter how hard he tried. Similarly, Arthur tried endlessly to forget about the other for just a second. He knew he had hurt him, so he felt guilty and ashamed of himself, but he knew it had been the right thing to do. Alfred couldn’t possibly love him, he was not meant to be a Queen as he was a man and a servant of all things! He decided he had to distance himself to avoid that unfortunate outcome. He had to stop Alfred from falling in love with him, but something told him it was already too late. 

Alfred had tried to look for him, but he stopped searching after a few minutes, realizing that he probably wanted time alone. He had no choice but to confront someone else about the vows, and as a result, he was sent to the library with one of the scholars who wasn’t really too pleased with the idea. He spent about an hour memorizing the vows, as well as trying to be friendly to the scholar, but the other wasn’t having it. The Prince eventually gave up trying, and he listened in silence instead. This time, he couldn’t be distracted by Arthur’s lovely voice, or the cute, determined look on his features as he taught him something. At least now he was sure that all his attention went towards memorizing the phrases. 

Sure enough, after he was positive that he was going to remember them, the ceremony started. It took place in a grand hall, decorated with a sleek red carpet leading to the most extravagant throne. Crystal chandeliers hung flawlessly from the ceiling, enlightening the room with a vibrant golden shine. Rows of seats lined up on each side of the carpet, which were filled by many nobles. It reminded him of a marriage ceremony, except, he was being married to the Kingdom itself. Alfred walked cautiously into the room, afraid that he wasn’t really worthy of all this perfection. Taking a look around, he gulped then stepped out again to take a deep breath, it was really happening. When all the people gathered took their seats, a royal melody was played by trumpets to signify the beginning of the ceremony. He heard his name being introduced as ‘His Highness Prince Jones’ and he entered through the grand doors, which were opened by servants on both sides. It was unfamiliar being called by the royal surname as all his life he had been called differently. He couldn’t help but feel like he had lost a part of himself, the part that was labeled as a farmer. As soon as he stepped into the room, he could feel everyone’s watchful gaze, judging him, studying him. Alfred sucked in a breath and began walking slowly, as elegantly as he could across the red carpet to the throne on the other side of the room. All while the piercing eyes kept following him, as if trying to catch a mistake. He finally made it to the throne when the music ended, and he turned around to face the crowd before sitting down in a mannerable way. It was then that the eyes of the crowd shifted to the Priest that was beginning to talk next to him, and he could relax a bit. He was glad that he didn’t have to do much talking, as Arthur had told him, so he spent much of his time listening to what others around him were talking about. Well, that only lasted about half an hour until he got terribly bored and struggled to seem like he wasn’t about to fall asleep. Unfortunately for him, it was during one of those moments that he was supposed to start saying his vows. It wasn’t until there was an awkward silence, that he suddenly became alert and quickly began searching his mind for the memorized phrases. After he said his vows successfully, only stuttering slightly in the beginning, the crown of spades was lifted upon his head. It was probably one of the most beautiful things Alfred had ever seen. The royal blue jewels on it sparkled like no other thing when the sun shone on them. And it was made of the purest gold in the Kingdom. He didn’t even want to know the consequences of losing it. After the crown was blessed and placed on his head, the crowd clapped in respect of their new King: King Jones. 

***

The newly coronated King had slipped out of the palace after the feast that followed the ceremony. There were simply too many unfamiliar people there, who probably hated his guts. He didn’t even feel like attempting to make friends because of it. He had strayed onto the grounds of the palace, particularly to the garden, which seemed so peaceful by itself, it was very relaxing. Alfred sighed as he sat down on a delicate bench near some rose bushes, staring up at the high moon on the sky. He needed some time to think, to think about how in the world he was going to make all these people happy, how to make everything right again. That’s when he heard a voice approach him from behind.

“It’s quite late to be wandering outside, your Highness” the voice was so lovely in its cadence to him, but the smoothness and perfection of the tone just served to mock him. It was Arthur. 

“I could say the same to you. Why are you out here anyways?” 

“As a guard, I was frequently given the garden shift. I know this place like the back of my hand. As for you, shouldn’t you be in there celebrating?” Alfred then turned around so he could look at him, giving him a slightly saddened smile. He wished he could come closer.

“The only thing I have to celebrate is the end of my individual freedom isn’t it? I’m bound to the Kingdom until death, I vowed that.” the King commented sadly, looking down. To his surprise, Arthur walked towards him and sat down next to him, at a safe distance of course. 

“I suppose, though you really should stop with the self-pity. It’s not like you at all.” he replied plainly, looking forwards at the flowers. 

“Not like me? I don’t even know what ‘me’ is anymore!” Alfred cried, hugging his knees to his chest.

“You are the King, if I may remind you. But you are also Alfred. Now, I met you as a farmer, so my view may very much be biased, but I know you to persevere, you may act spontaneously, but you enjoy every second of the adventures you get yourself into. Don’t let this be the end of that Alfred” his voice now had the added touch of sympathy, but he never did turn to face him. He was staring blankly up at the night sky now. Alfred could only stare once more, at the complete beauty of his form, before he sighed and smiled in the slightest. Why was it that he knew just what to say to him to make him feel better? 

“...This is probably the millionth time I thank you, but I really do mean it. I would be lost without you” he mumbled, not exactly all he wanted to say, but he didn’t want to get the other mad at him again. 

“Now, let’s get you to your room. You have a long week ahead of you,” Arthur replied, standing up from the bench and beginning to walk towards the palace. Alfred slowly got up and followed behind him, mumbling a reluctant ‘okay’ much like a child when he’s told it’s time for bed.


	10. Learning to Dance

As the week progressed, Alfred had learned that making a change in the Kingdom was even more difficult than he had thought. Whenever he suggested something new at a meeting, the glares and looks he got always made him back out from his opinion and conform to what other nobles and advisors were saying. They dealt with small issues and practically ran the Kingdom for him, if he didn’t intervene. Since no one really bothered to ask him his opinion, he spent most of his days at the library, searching up how other Kings ruled before him. He discovered that it had always been the same, the peasants had always been treated like nobodies and the gap between wealthy and poor just kept growing through the decades. How would he be able to change something that had been set in laws for hundreds of years? He thought he had the time to think of an action plan, but the day came too soon when his advisor started asking: who will he choose as his Queen? A question which just added to his problems. Alfred knew they were expecting it to be a woman of high class, someone that provided the Kingdom with an heir. But now that he thought about it, he had never found girls to be terribly attractive. In fact, the closest he got to being in love with someone was when-- well he would never agree to become the Queen anyways. Yao, the Jack, did his best to respond to his indecisiveness by requesting a private meeting with him, and Alfred reluctantly agreed. As much as he hated being told what to do, he really needed it. He was lost in his thoughts and troubles. 

“So, my King, regarding the future Queen, is there any special person you have in mind?” he asked. Alfred could tell he wasn’t used to giving any sort of love advice based on the very awkwardness of his tone. He felt a bit guilty for it.

“No, not really. I haven’t met any that I really liked, in fact, I think most avoid me if I’m honest. I don’t know...I’m not good with relationship stuff. I haven’t dated or anything before..” He trailed off, his tone awkward and unsure. He felt like a young boy talking to a parent about getting a partner.

“I see,” the Jack hummed, then silence fell over the both of them, only to be broken again by the Jack himself. “May I suggest an arranged marriage, then?” 

Before the King could answer, a thickly-accented voice rang out from behind the door, making Alfred almost jump in surprise. 

“Oh mon dieu! With all due respect, that will just create more problems!” The Jack frowned and opened the door to reveal one of the palace guards standing there, his face filled with determination. “I suggest a ball instead!”

“Guard Bonnefoy, go back to your task immediately! There will be no eavesdropping on a private conversation between-”

“A..ball?” The King echoed, interrupting Yao. He didn’t know what he meant by that, but it sounded better than getting married by force to someone he didn’t know. Weren’t balls supposed to celebrate something? 

“Yes, in which we invite various maidens and you will have your pick. It may be less sudden than an arranged marriage, if you desire” Francis explained, beaming proudly. Alfred gulped a little, was he really going to have to pick? He had already chosen, in his own mind.

“Y-yeah! Sure, a ball sounds perfect! U-uh..when will it be?” he squeaked out nervously, trying to smile at the Jack to convince him it was a good idea.

“If we are to host a ball, I recommend the upcoming week. We must introduce a Queen as quickly as possible,” the Jack cut in, looking directly back at Alfred. 

“Yes! I can’t wait to see a new love flourish! Here, the King all elegantly dressed to pick a fair maiden, who will it be? Who will he take the first dance with? Who-” Francis stopped daydreaming as he noticed the other two were glaring at him. With a small giggle, he pranced away. “If you need any advice, just let me know, your Majesty!”

Alfred sighed as soon as he left, but there was another thing troubling his mind. He was sure there would be no way out of this one. He did not know how to dance. But he couldn’t admit it out loud, not when everyone was expecting him to be this brilliant gentleman. What in the world was he going to do? 

“A dance..huh? Well...plan it for me will you, Jack? I’ve...got something I need to do” the King said plainly and stood up, making his way towards the exit. Yao followed him with his gaze, then called out to him just as he opened the door.

“Your Highness?”

“Yeah?”

“...I hope you’ve chosen wisely”

***

The King of Spades rushed over to the gardens after he managed to sort things out with the Jack. He sped over as fast as his royal legs could carry him. There, he looked around the fresh beds of flowers and cascading fountains, which made the air have a mingled scent of light mist and sweet smelling roses. He searched and sought for the single person he had put all of his trust in, and he found him inside the small greenhouse at the center of the garden that stood out almost like a jewel. He entered slowly, and approached the other with awkwardness and slight regret. Was he still angry at him?

“...Arthur?” The other spun around at the sound of his name, being spoken in a familiar tone he had grown to be fond of. He stared at the King for a few seconds, before he looked down again, busying himself by smelling the fresh flowers. 

“Did you come looking for me?” he asked, still blankly looking at the blue petals that made up the delicate poppies. Alfred noticed he looked more tired than usual, his face not having the same glow he once knew. He bit his lip and moved closer to him, a worried look on his expression. He decided to jump to the subject straight away.

“I-..I really hope you ain’t mad at me anymore, because...well...I might have a bit of a problem..” he trailed off, staring down at his feet in shame. He rocked back and forth, anxiously awaiting his response. Arthur definitely looked pissed, assuming the worst.

“Oh great. What the hell have you done now?” he muttered, narrowing his eyes a bit as his gaze shifted from the flowers to him. Alfred cringed at his tone, lowering his head even further as if asking for forgiveness.

“I’m sorry! I-it’s just that everyone is expecting me to find a Queen, so..so Yao suggested arranged marriage, and I definitely didn’t want that! So then, we decided to host a ball- well it was Francis’ idea but it sounded way better! And I suppose I just agreed, but- but the problem is I don’t know how to dance!” Alfred cried, looking up at Arthur with sad, puppy eyes, frustrated and confused with himself. He had just ranted out everything, finding himself unable to keep it bottled up inside, it just wasn’t like him. 

“...a ball? When? I’m not surprised you don’t know how to dance, but I’m sure I’m not the only one who knows.” Arthur replied, unexpectedly calm about the situation. 

“Wh- you mean you think other people know I can’t dance?!”

“Precisely so. Nobody expects a former farmboy to know how to dance.”

“No! Oh no! This is terrible! I can’t- they’ll all laugh! They’ll think I’m a failure of a King!” Alfred wailed, covering his face with his hands. He knew he couldn’t cancel the ball now, and he knew he would probably end up tripping over and falling on his face with his luck, when it came to it. “Arthur, what can I do? You’ll help me right? You’re my friend…” He looked back up at him helplessly, hoping that he would have the heart to help him out. Arthur let out a long sigh, even though he was very annoying and empty-minded, he couldn’t help but feel pity for him. It wasn’t his fault he didn’t know how to dance.

“I-...alright. I’ll help you since you asked, but you have to listen to me and do everything I say, no whining.” 

“Huh? Really!?” Alfred immediately brightened up at his words, looking at him with wide eyes and a large grin. “Thank you so much, Artie!” He bounced in his spot a few times then attempted to hug the former guard, who in turn, pushed him away. 

“I told you to call me ‘Arthur’ you dolt! And don’t hug me either, remember what I told you.” He huffed a little, but he couldn’t help but feel a little pride in being the King’s most trusted friend. “Now, listen carefully. I want you to meet me here in the gardens at noon sharp everyday leading up to the date of the ball. We will have dance lessons and hopefully, you’ll be ready by then”

“You’re...going to teach me how to dance?! That’s amazing! Yes, please! I’ll make sure to listen to every word!” Alfred now had a determined look about his face, clearly excited and relieved that he would be learning a subject that most nobles are required to know by grade school. If he learned how to dance, the nobles would have to recognize him as an equal, if not close to it. Arthur had a similar look. Dancing was one of the few things he enjoyed but rarely did. The Kingdom hadn’t hosted a ball since...well since he couldn’t remember. Perhaps he hadn’t even been born yet!

“Good. We’ll start tomorrow then, don’t forget!” Arthur smiled a bit and straightened up a little, it seemed like the youthful glow was back on his face. He patted Alfred’s shoulder before heading past him, towards the exit. “Now, I believe it’s almost your dinner time, yes?”

“I won’t forget, Arthur! I promise! And yeah, I’m feeling pretty hungry!” the blond raced to catch up with him, smiling cheerfully at the thought of food. Though after a few moments of thought, he looked towards him again. “Would...you like to join me?” He asked, his voice a little shy, and definitely more gentle than whenever he was loudly boasting about something. That tone made the servant shiver slightly, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

“Oh? If it’s not too much trouble...yes, that would be lovely” he mumbled, attempting to smile back at him. 

Alfred was clearly pleased with his response, wondering if he should be more like that around him. It definitely had a good effect on the other guy, he liked making Arthur happy. 

***

The next morning, Alfred woke up more energized and ready than he ever had in the past few days. Just the thought of getting to meet Arthur and dancing with him was already enough to get him out of bed early. He woke up at 8am sharp, took a shower, then dressed, all by himself. Except that, he sort of got the outfit wrong, being unused to wearing anything fancy and all that. So he got sent back to his room by none other than the guard Francis, who shooed him off before anyone could see him in such improper attire. Frustrated and impatient, he waited for servants to show up so they could dress him, all the while he was pouting like a child. Finally, once he was dressed properly, he went down to breakfast at ten. He wondered where Arthur could be while he ate. Was he maybe preparing their lesson? He hoped he was a good teacher, since he really only had a few days. As he was eating breakfast, he noticed the Jack walking down to meet with him again. Yao bowed in greeting then took a seat across from him, some papers in hand. Alfred swallowed nervously, was he in trouble?

“Good morning, your Highness. I see you had a good night’s rest? I’ve come to converse with you about planning for the ball. You do remember from yesterday?”

Alfred nodded slightly, attempting a small smile to hide his nervousness. “Oh, yeah! The ball, of course I remember. So, you want to know when it’s gonna be?” 

The Jack took out his pen and nodded as he prepared to write. “Yes, and your opinion on the cake and decorations as well. We want to make this the most perfect party for you.”

Alfred’s face lit up at the mention of cake and decorations, it really was a party then? He had never been to one before! Yes he had birthday parties as a child, but he never got to eat cake with frosting and sugar. He always just had bread with honey as they had to sell most of their cream and milk. “Oh! That sounds awesome! I can’t wait!” he nearly squealed in excitement.

“Hm? If that’s the case how about I set it to Saturday this week?” Yao responded happily. 

Alfred’s little moment of euphoria vanished as he realized it was already Tuesday. “S-Saturday? Uh..well I um, sure why not?” he chuckled a bit, confident in that he could learnt to dance in five days. 

“Perfect! I’ll write that down. Next, could you tell me what you had envisioned for the ball? Maybe a theme? Some colors? The type of treats served and of course the cake?”

Alfred squirmed a little in his seat, excitement beginning to bubble in his stomach. He wondered for a moment about what colors and decorations he would choose. It was a bit harder than he thought. “Um, well...I’m not sure, do the decorations have to mean anything Or does it have to be something that everybody likes?”

Yao sighed a bit, knowing he was going to be here a while, but he did want to help him somewhat. It’s not like Alfred wasn’t a nice person. “Just picture something your future wife would like. Make all the decorations her favorite things, the colors, what she likes, things like that. That’s my own opinion of it, of course you can do whatever you’d like your Majesty.” 

Alfred thought about his words for a moment, and suddenly it was all very vivid in his mind. He closed his eyes, thinking how everything would look, how it would feel, it was there, it was perfect! “I...I see! Write this down quickly before I forget! Um, um okay, make it be like a forest, an enchanted forest! That’s romantic, right? The curtains and tablecloths will be green, emerald green. Also make sure to have lots and lots of flowers, roses! Some rose petals on the tables would be great, and candles of course!”

Yao was furiously writing everything down as fast as he could, a little hesitant on the combination of emerald green and rose red, but it was whatever he wanted of course. At least he was thinking of something.

“And for the food, maybe something really fancy and nice, I’m not sure, tell the chefs to make it look good I guess. To drink we’ll have tea even though I don’t really like it that much, and for dessert make lots of chocolate things!” Alfred’s eyes had opened by then and they were gleaming with a brightness the Jack had never even seen. It was good, though, perhaps that meant he had already met someone to be the Queen. 

“Ah, is that all? I think I got everything down” the Jack finally had a chance to speak, looking pretty satisfied with the King’s responses. 

“Yup! Thanks! Oh, um do you know what’s the time by any chance?”

The Jack stood up for a moment glancing at the clock on the wall. “it’s half past eleven, your Majesty,” he replied.

Alfred quickly stuffed more food into his mouth before getting up as well with a start. “Oh! Uh, sorry I need to do something. Thanks again!” He ran off to the gardens before Yao had the time to say anything else. He left him confused, but he didn’t mind too much. Something else entirely was on his mind, or rather someone. 

***

Arthur would be lying if he said he didn’t feel as excited as Alfred, or at least close to it. He got ready, wearing his favorite outfit or at least as fancy as a servant could be dressed without looking suspicious. He wandered over to the gardens then, surprised to see that Alfred was already there, a full half hour before their agreed time. As he walked closer he was greeted with a large smile from him, which he couldn’t help but return in a heartbeat. 

“Arthur!” the King greeted enthusiastically, running up to him with a gleaming smile.

“Are you all set for your dancing lessons?” he asked, beginning to walk over to the greenhouse as the other bounced alongside.

“Yes! I’ve been ready for ages! Can we get started now? Please?”

“Alright, alright, yes, we’ll get started as soon as possible, calm down” Arthur chuckled, opening the door into the room as they both entered. It was significantly hotter inside, but he’d prefer being a little uncomfortable than being found out. “Right, first we’ll work on your footwork. Stand across from me with your feet shoulder width apart”

Alfred immediately did what he was told, standing a couple of feet away from Arthur and shuffling his feet into position. “Like this?”

“Perfect. Now, these steps will move in a square shaped path, which means after you’re done, you should end up in the same place as before. Start with your right foot and move it a step to the right”

Alfred nodded, listening attentively to whatever he had to say. It didn’t seem too hard to do, especially when he was following along. “Hm..step right, got it! That’s easy!”

“Perhaps so, but you’ve also got to learn to keep a beat; however, don’t worry about that for now. Next is bring your left foot next to your right foot, together”

“Left, together...got it!”

“Good, now the next thing is to move your left foot one step back. Then bring your right foot back as well, together.”

“Left back...right back...together! Oh, do I move left now?”

“Yes, exactly. Next you’ll take your left foot and step left, following with your right foot”

Alfred did just that, feeling very much accomplished with himself. If this is all that dancing was then he would probably only need one or two lessons. This was super easy!

“And lastly, step forwards with your right foot, and follow with your left. How many steps was that?”

“Umm…” Alfred counted in his head: Right, together, back, together, left, together, forward, together. “Oh, eight!” He smiled, hoping he had done it right

“Excellent! You really are a fast learner. In dancing, people usually count by eight paces. Counting the steps as you do them, will help you find a rhythm with the music. Rhythm is the most important thing in dancing, not even remembering the steps is as important. Now, we’ll try again, this time go a little faster and count out loud.”

Alfred nodded enthusiastically at that, getting ready to do the steps once more. “Okay, first is right with my right foot, so that’s one. Then together, that’s two”

“Perfect! Then left foot back is three, then together is four”

“Left foot left is five, together is six. And lastly, right foot forward is seven, together is eight! Haha, simple!”

“Very well done, your Majesty” Arthur applauded, though there was a slight smirk on his lips. “Now here’s the fun part, moving with another person”

“Huh? It’s the same thing though, you just grab them and stuff, it shouldn’t be that hard” Alfred replied, a little confused. 

Arthur merely held back a chuckle as he moved closer to him. He had thought the exact same thing when he was first learning to dance at the age of ten, but he was very wrong. You had to flow and adjust to the other person’s movements. Sometimes you’d step too far or not far enough. Sometimes you’d go too fast or too slow. It was truly a learning experience. “We’ll see how you do. For now, assuming I will be a lady, put your hand just above my waist,” he commented, placing his left hand on the King’s shoulder.

Alfred’s breath hitched in the slightest as the other came closer. They hadn’t been this close since...well since a while. He tried his best not to seem too affected though and nodded as he put his right hand above his waist.

Arthur looked at him for a few seconds, slightly amused by his sudden awkwardness. “Your other hand, your Majesty” he corrected, smiling smugly.

“O-oh! Right, I knew that, hah…” Alfred chuckled a bit and did so. 

“Now hold my hand”

Alfred didn’t think he was serious, but after seeing that he was staring expectantly at him, he did what he was told. Had dancing positions always been this intimate? They were inches apart, holding hands and there was no where to look beside each other’s eyes, this was too romantic!

“Good, palms together, fingers locked, that’s how you hold one’s hand whilst dancing.” Arthur commented, not looking like he was affected by this at all. Damn him and his professional everything. 

“R-right!” Alfred smiled, pretending like he had not just stuttered. He was looking all around except at Arthur’s face. He had a feeling he’d probably stare if he did so. Unfortunately, Arthur noticed and called him out on it.

“It’s not very gentlemanly to avoid eye contact, your Highness, if I must say” he chuckled with a smile. 

“I- er- I told you not to call me that, it’s weird!” Alfred pouted, still not looking at him.

“Hah, fine then, Alfred. Eye contact is very important in dancing and everywhere else. It shows that you have confidence”

But Alfred didn’t have much confidence, and he didn’t want to look up. Though he remembered he promised Arthur he would do everything he said. With a soft sigh he looked up with his baby blue eyes into an emerald green forest, and he stared. He stared as he got drawn deeper into the glowing color, an endless pit of overflowing hue that reminded him of the grass, the leaves, the trees, and the beauty of nature. That green, Arthur’s green, a toxic paradise he longed to get closer to, so he did. In an almost trance-like state he shortened the distance between their bodies, so that now they were three or four inches apart, their foreheads nearly touching. Their breaths mingled, and he felt Arthur’s hitch when he moved close. His beautiful pale lips were parted in the slightest, as if taunting him, mocking him to do it. One step closer is all it took, for the trance to finally break, and Arthur cleared his throat, backing away.

“...I- I think you’ve done a lot for the day, let’s continue tomorrow” he hastily choked out, turning away to hide the slightest bit of pink on his cheeks. 

Alfred blinked many times before he also coughed a bit and realized how close they had been. He didn’t want Arthur to go, though. “But, I still can learn more! I promise! I want to know more!” he argued, pouting faintly.

“This is enough, you’re a fast learner so just go over the steps and we’ll meet again tomorrow, same place same time, okay?” he insisted, starting to shuffle away to the door of the greenhouse, opening it just before Alfred spoke again.

“Artie! But-”

“Tomorrow, Alfred!” the servant sighed, then turned his back on him and walked out. The King was left to wonder what that was all about, but after contemplating the scenario after a few minutes, he finally got it. The way to Arthur’s trust was not to trap him or enclose him so he couldn’t back away, it was to let him have his own space. He now realized that all along he had been pressuring Arthur and going after him, leaving him with no room to breathe. How could he have been so blind? He knew that Arthur was an independent person, so naturally he didn’t want to feel cornered by his advances! Alfred now looked onward with a new perspective and renewed confidence. Tomorrow it was, he thought, as he walked out of the greenhouse as well. Tomorrow was the day he would win over Arthur Kirkland, or at least, attempt to.


	11. A Faulty Confession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wednesday

The next day, Alfred woke with renewed confidence and a plan he was sure would work. He was slowly but surely learning what types of clothes were fancy and which were not, and how to dress properly. He chose a sleek royal blue suit which he would wear over a dress shirt adorned with the mark of spades as a pattern. His trousers matched the same shade of blue, and his shoes were shiny and a liquorice black. Alfred combed his hair as neatly as he could, looking at himself in the mirror for a few seconds before he dashed out to have breakfast. 

He skipped over to the dining hall, a bright grin on his face which was unusual since he first got to the palace. He even waved to a few of the maids as they passed him, which resulted in them giggling and talking amongst themselves. Though, Alfred wasn’t interested in what they were saying, he promptly got to the table and sat down, happily awaiting his breakfast which took no longer than a few minutes to arrive. 

By the time the King was done eating, it was nearly eleven-thirty and he was about to jump up from his seat before he heard footsteps. It was Yao, who walked up to him with a gentle smile and sat down at the table as well. Great, now he’d have to wait. Alfred looked at him curiously, wanting to ask what he wanted.

”Good morning, your Highness. I have good news for you today. The servants have started working on the decorations for the ball this Saturday. It will be splendid!” he smiled, then added with a small mumble. “Though they really should’ve used that old recipe for the tea biscuits, I wrote it myself, no need to make something better, that’s as good as it gets”

Alfred’s eyes gleamed excitedly, chuckling a little at Yao’s comment afterwards. He hadn’t gotten to know him much in the past few days, but he seemed like a nice guy. 

“That’s perfect! Thanks again!” he replied hastily, and moved to get up from the table, though Yao was quick to speak again.

“Ah, wait! Your Majesty, I also wanted to speak to you about something else”

Alfred held in a long sigh and sat back down, looking at him anxiously, but forced out a smile. “Another thing? Oh yeah, sure, tell me”

“It’s about the type of music you would like for the ball. There are many musicians that would be ecstatic about an opportunity to play before the King, but you see there can only be a few to hire.”

“Oh...music” Alfred wondered, his mind slowing down for a while as it settled on the subject. He had never been too knowledgeable about music since he didn’t hear much of it back at the farm. Sure he whistled while working and clapped along little tunes at small parties, but he had a feeling that music for nobility was far different. Suddenly there he was again, in unfamiliar territory, reminding him that as much as he tried to resemble royalty, he could never really fit in. He sighed a bit, trying to think of what to say to the Jack, who was now awaiting his response. Perhaps he could just describe it, and he’ll get the message? But how could he describe the kind of music...how could he-- Alfred blinked a little as realization dawned on him, and he decided to think: what music would Arthur like? That was it!

“Hm, well I’m supposed to be finding a Queen there, right? Why not make it romantic? Really romantic, like with violins and pianos and things. You get what I’m saying right?”

Yao looked at him a little odd, but noted down what he was saying, nodding as he listened. “Yes, your Majesty, as romantic as possible I believe it shall be fairly easy to accomplish. Though may I make a suggestion?”

There it was, Yao couldn’t be Yao if he didn’t ask to change something to his taste. But Alfred was confident that he had all the right judgment. 

“Um, sure. What is it?”

“Well, your Majesty, I would be honored if I could be one of the musicians playing at the ball. I have substantial practice on the harp, and am most certain it could be a suitable accompaniment.

Alfred was surprised at this new information, he had never expected him to actually volunteer to do something. “You- you can play an instrument?” He asked, regretting it almost instantly as he figured most nobles had that kind of education. 

Yao simply dipped his head in response, not minding the question. “Yes, I usually practice in my own time. I would be grateful if you would allow me to play. 

The King stood amazed for a second, before he quickly nodded, a slight grin on his lips. “Well, of course! I’m sure you’re really good at it considering how old-...how well, wise you are!” He stuttered quickly, trying to cover up what he had said before. How rude would that have been, he didn’t deserve to be all high and mighty, he couldn't even speak like a noble. 

The Jack looked at him questionably, a near scowl on his face, but soon decided to give the young royal a break and nodded respectfully. “I am very thankful, your Majesty. I will not disappoint you” And with that, Yao got up, bowed shorty, and left. 

Alfred thought about their agreement for a few moments, before he searched around to take a glimpse of the time. They couldn’t have been talking for long. It was only- well quarter past noon! He stood up abruptly, nearly knocking down a vase of flowers on the table, and quickly walked towards the back exit to the gardens. He was late, too late for his liking! What would Arthur say, would he be mad? Oh he bet he was mad! Oh great. Alfred sighed a little as he practically jogged to the greenhouse, hoping the other was waiting for him there. If he wasn’t, he would never forgive himself. Even though it was only fifteen minutes, he didn’t want Arthur to think he hadn’t been ecstatic about meeting him again, or that he regarded him as a second choice. Finally, the greenhouse came into view and Alfred was quick to enter.

“Artie? ..Arthur? Are you here?” He called out, his tone a bit worried. What if he had gotten tired of waiting? “I’m sorry I’m late, I had to….arrange a few things okay? I wasn’t ignoring you or anything!” the King apologized to the air. It was quiet inside, and he couldn’t hear any noises, so after a few minutes he decided to give up with a loud sigh. He blew his chance, he blew it! “Goddammit, Arthur, why do you have to be so hard to-”

“Hard to what?” a voice questioned behind him, accompanied with the sound of the greenhouse door closing. Alfred quickly whipped around, recognizing the voice almost instantly, an expression of mixed feelings showed on his face: shock, embarrassment, and relief. 

“A-Arthur! I thought you’d left already! I’m sorry I was late, I promise it won’t happen again because I don’t want you to get mad at me and stuff, and I always seem do things that make you angry, and and-”

Arthur stood stunned at his flustered apologies, not realizing that he felt that way. Yes, Alfred could make him inexplicably mad sometimes, but he couldn’t find a reason to stay angry. “...Alfred, it’s alright, I just went out to get some fresh air. It’s awfully stuffy inside here. As for you being late, I trust you didn’t mean it on purpose, however, if there is a next time, I won’t be so lenient.” 

“Of course! Yeah, there’ll be no next time though! “Alfred quickly reassured, a nervous but relieved smile on his face. He then walked a bit closer to Arthur, taking a deep breath before speaking again* “Anyways, should we start the lesson now? I think I remember all the steps!” 

”Do you? I’ll be impressed if that was true. How about you show me then?”

Alfred nodded at that, happy to comply. He looked down at his feet, trying to remember the steps he had learned just yesterday, and all the tips Arthur had told him. Count to eight, move in a square shaped pattern. He was confident enough with that, and then began moving through the steps. Left foot left, together, right foot down, together… His pace was slow, and he still didn’t have much rhythm, but he could remember all the steps perfectly. When he was finished, he looked up to see Arthur’s reaction, nearly cheering happily when he spotted he wore a smile.

“Well done, Alfred. It seems you’re ready to move on to the next thing. Finding rhythm in the steps. But I can see now that it probably won’t be too difficult, you’re a fast learner indeed”

Alfred shone with pride and chuckled a little, finding it hard to keep in his excitement. He hadn’t failed after all! “Really? Thanks! I’m ready to go on, it’s just because you’re a great teacher, Artie!” 

Arthur’s cheeks reddened in the slightest, but he said nothing about the nickname or the compliment as he moved forwards, closer to him. “Right, now we’ll practice dancing with a partner. Remember, dancing with another is very different than just going through the steps. You have to pay attention to your partner’s needs, how they move, and figure out how to work together to dance smoothly. Not everyone dances the same, and I think that’s part of the fun in this activity. Now, do you remember the hold I taught you about?”

“Oh um, yes I think so. It’s this, isn't it?” He started by shyly resting his hand on Arthur’s waist, then moved to loosely grip the other’s hand. Arthur seemed to mirror his actions, placing a hand on his shoulder, ready to begin. 

“Yes, that’s it. Remember to keep a loose grip like you have now. You don’t want to make your partner uncomfortable. Shall we begin the dance, your Highness?”

With a bashful nod, the young King then led the pair through the steps he had learned, praying that he would get everything correct. Slowly, he moved left, down, then right, and finally back up again, staring at his feet the entire time, worried that he might mess up. Arthur on the other hand, seemed to move with no effort, letting his feet glide wherever Alfred moved. He was currently looking at the top of Alfred’s head, finding it rather adorable how nervous the other was, and decided to help him out a little.

“Alfred? I hate to distract you, but usually eye contact is preferable whilst dancing” he reminded in a soft, hushed tone. It seemed to have all the effect on the other though as he quickly looked up in slight embarrassment, his cheeks flushed brightly.

“O-oh! Er- right, I knew that! I just wanted to make sure everything was perfect for you, erm Arthur. I know how you’re probably an expert at this so I don’t want to make you bored or something” He miserably admitted, biting his lip a little as he continued to move his gaze all around the room, everywhere but into Arthur’s eyes. 

The servant simply laughed, a quiet sound of amusement, and shook his head. “No, you don’t have to worry about that. I know you’re still learning, I won’t get bored. Honestly, that would be very rude of me if I thought that way, I’m just glad you’re making such quick progress. I know you’ll make mistakes, in fact you’re making about twenty right now, so I will be patient in the little time we have. Just relax, it will make everything easier” 

Alfred now stared at him as he talked, feeling silly for being so embarrassed before. Arthur was right, he was still learning, of course he’ll have to make a few mistakes! With that, he took a breath and grinned at him, squeezing his hand a little. “Okay, don’t worry, I’ll try my best! Am I doing this right?”

Arthur couldn’t help but smile back, now it was him that was looking down at their feet. “Well, we’re going awfully slow but that’s alright. We do need to fix your rhythm though. Are you counting in your head? Here, I’ll help you” Arthur paused for a moment, then looked back up at him to get his full attention. “I’ll lead, you follow my counting, okay?”

“Yeah, that sounds good!” The other responded with an enthusiastic nod, excitement beginning to flood his veins once more. Arthur then began dancing, mumbling out a number with each step, making sure they were both in rhythm. 

“You know, this would probably be easier with music. You won’t have to count then, it’s easy to follow to the beat of a song”

“Music? Then how about we make our own, Artie!”

“...and how exactly are we supposed to do that? We don’t have instruments here.”

“With our voices silly!”

“Are you implying we sing? I’ll have you know, there is no way I’ll be agreeing to that. Besides, knowing you, you’ll just sing to the rhythm of your dancing, not the other way around.”

“Aw, really? I’ll try anyway!” 

“Alfred, don’t you dare-” He began, but he couldn't seem to stop the other when he broke out into a terrible tune. It was more giggling than singing, but for some reason it made Arthur start to laugh as well, at how awful it was.

“Here I am, just me and Arthur, dancing~ Just dancing~ With Arthur and me~! In this weird greenhouse thing, so hot I’m melting~”

“Alfred stop, oh god-”

“But that’s not the only thing that makes me wanna melt~! Because Arthur’s smile is the most sunshine I’ve ever felt~”

Alfred was not exactly paying attention to what he was saying, having too much fun to stop. Arthur could only stare at him as they danced, no longer laughing but blushing madly. He didn’t know how to respond to the flattery, if it was that at all. But he did know that their dancing was completely thrown off, Alfred was just moving to his own beat, making him unsure of where to step anymore. It was inevitable that he would step on his foot, which he did, before tumbling forwards into Alfred’s chest.

“Ah! You idiot what are you even doing?” He chuckled a little.

“And now I’m here, just here with him~ His eyes like a forest or something, so green, gems almost, they’re just really...pretty..” Alfred trailed off for a second, his voice now gone softer until he was just mumbling the words while he looked into the other’s eyes. The dancing soon ceased afterwards, now they were both closer than ever, their chests pressed together, their noses nearly brushing.

“Arthur...I like being with you, a lot. I-..I would do anything to spend all day here. Everything about you is so...so cute, I can’t get you out of my head even when I leave. God, how I want to make you mine..”

Arthur couldn’t even begin to form words, shocked at what the other was saying about him. Did he really think that? He suddenly couldn’t breathe, they were too close, what was he doing, this was wrong. They couldn’t be this close, his mind told him, and so he moved to pull away. His heart secretly wished Alfred would pull him back, but he didn’t. Alfred was staring down, almost in shame now. Neither of them spoke, because they both knew what had just happened. Alfred thought he had been rejected. Arthur was trying to protect him from making a terrible mistake. 

The noble of the two was the first to speak after a long silence, a sad smile on his lips as he gazed longingly at Arthur. He didn’t get it, he had tried every way he could think of to please Arthur, but in the end everything failed. Well, he should’ve expected this anyways, his judgment had been clouded back in the old farmhouse, a memory so faint it seemed like it had been years ago. It was amazing what alcohol could do, he was still just a foolish farmboy after all. “...I see, I’m sorry, I ruined this didn’t I? I think we’ve gotten enough practice for today, thank you. I’ll get out of your sight now,” his voice quivered with emotion as he mumbled out the miserable words, his heart was broken of course, and it just felt like an empty hole was in his chest, eating him away. He didn’t care, though, he deserved this. As Alfred turned around and began walking away, Arthur finally managed to respond. 

“W-wait!” he stuttered out, not being able to handle the sight of the other being so saddened. He was slowly breaking inside as well, being torn between doing the rational thing or doing what he desired. There was no “right” or “wrong” decision, it was a question of happiness or safety. Arthur sighed loudly, tightly closing his eyes for a second. “Please don’t go...I- I can’t do this” A plea for help, he decided to reveal everything to him once and for all. “You didn’t ruin anything, it’s me. I should be sorry for doing all of this to you. For making you fall in love with me, it’s all my fault. I tried..so hard to get you to ignore me, however this only seemed to make you more interested. I didn’t know what to do after that, I should’ve made you hate me, but I was too selfish. I’m so sorry, Alfred, this...is all my fault” he admitted with a saddened whisper, now covering his face with his hands. The King was frowning slightly in confusion, but didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around him in comfort. 

“Shh, Arthur, don’t say that. I would do anything to win your heart you know? I just can’t stop myself from loving you, it’s impossible. But, now I know that you don’t feel that way about me for sure so I will stop making any advances, okay? It’s all gonna be okay. No one will know I have feelings for you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Arthur just shook his head at his words, frustrated by his cluelessness, uncovering his face after a few moments. “No! No you don’t- you don’t get it I-” He was never good with words when it came down to this, he had realized that long ago. Though he didn’t know how else to express his feelings; he’d have to do it physically. Arthur looked up at the King of Spades, took a breath, then slowly leaned in to press their lips together in a soft kiss. 

Alfred turned bright red upon the contact, truly believing it must have been a mistake before he felt arms wrap around his neck. His breath hitched in initial surprise, but the soft kiss managed to take him to a whole different realm entirely. He was floating, far away from here to a quiet haven, he was free. And as he kissed back, his own arms wrapped around Arthur’s slender waist, he couldn’t be happier. 

Arthur was enjoying it just as much if not more. When the other’s lips began moving against his, he fought back a faint moan, yes this was all he needed, how he had missed this. Though he fought to pull away after a few seconds, trying to desperately explain to him why they couldn’t do this, but apparently Alfred was having none of it because he immediately pulled him in again for another, and another. Arthur couldn’t go against him at that point, his strength all seemed to fade, leaving him a needy, panting mess. 

After a few good minutes of desperate kissing, Alfred finally had to pull away for a breath, panting as well, as he pressed their foreheads together, their breaths mingling. “Arthur... you have no idea how much I’ve wanted to do that again…”

Arthur gazed into his wondrous blue eyes as he tried regaining his breath, it felt like his mind was in a haze, dizzy and serene. “I-...I wanted to as well, Alfred, oh god I wanted it so much. Ever since that night I felt guilty, but I could never stop thinking about it. Why did you have to be *him*! I’m glad you feel this way about me, but what about the ball? You have to pick a queen, and it can't be me. Not only am I a servant, but I’m a man. There’s no way that-”

Alfred was nearly glaring at him now, cutting him off before he decided to say any other stupid things. “Arthur, stop it! I don’t care if you’re a servant or a guy or whatever! I like you because you’re you! And if others can’t see that then that’s their problem! Why can’t you be my queen? I’m the King, you said my word is law right? No one can go against the King!”

“You i-idiot it’s not that!” The other male retorted, raising his voice a little as he moved away from his grasp. “If we’re both men that means we can’t produce an heir! That’s the only bloody reason you were brought back here, to continue your bloodline. If there’s no heir then the monarchy will just fall once again and there was no point in you becoming King!” 

Alfred was silent after that, simply staring at the love of his life with a small frown, a hurt gaze. He too, moved back from him, in disbelief. “...Then- I don’t want to be a king anymore. Not if it means not being able to be with you.”

“Have you gone mad?! Do you know how incredibly selfish you sound right now, Alfred? You are putting personal needs before the Kingdom, you vowed not to do that! You have to be the King, it’s your destiny, sometimes you have to make sacrifices.”

“I hate my destiny then! There is no way I’m sacrificing you, I can’t picture being with anyone else! I want just you!” Alfred yelled back, confused, angry, and saddened by the fact the other didn’t understand why he couldn’t ignore it. 

“Well this is never going to work out so give up already! ” Arthur nearly sobbed, tears threatening to fall though it was more of his frustration than anything. He wasn’t truly angry at Alfred, but at their situation; however, this was never said. 

Alfred couldn’t believe what he was hearing, it really seemed that the other didn’t actually love him. He took a shaky breath, his hands balled into fists, and prepared to yell back without sense. But at the last moment, he realized that would just heighten the argument, so he let out a pathetic whimper before he pushed past him to get to the door. He opened it and ran all the way back into the palace and up to his room, ignoring the questionable glances from the servants and other nobles he passed on the way there. He just wanted to be alone. 

The servant was left in the greenhouse, where he spent most of his time afterwards until late afternoon. Even though it was humid and uncomfortable, he thought it as a punishment for what he had just done. Alfred was only admitting his love for him, he didn’t deserve getting yelled at. It was all a mess, he didn’t know at that point if they would be able to make up or not. Perhaps it was for the best, at least he had shown him it was more complicated than they thought. Perhaps he’d finally gotten him upset and angry enough that he’d start to hate him. 

***

The next morning, Alfred woke tired and miserable. His appearance reflected it as well. Once he looked in the mirror after a bath, he could see his eyes were sunken and dull. He didn’t bother combing his hair so it was matted and lifeless. This time, he waited for the regular servants to come to his room and dress him, not having the energy to pick something out for himself. No one had the nerve to ask him if he was okay, but it was evident that something was wrong. Alfred sighed to himself as he wearily went downstairs, where he caught more servants staring at him. Especially the maids, who used to look at him in a giddy and happy mood, only showed signs of pity, or confusion as they whispered to each other about what might have happened. He ignored all of them and sat down at the table, picking at his food until he managed to at least eat some, he didn't want it to go to waste. All his servants noticed his sorrow, but were either too scared, or didn't care enough to ask. It was then that dark thoughts began settling in his mind. They couldn't recover from this, surely. No, it was impossible. The rest of the day seemed to go by in a blur. Alfred purposely avoided places he knew Arthur would be. Or should be, at least, maybe he never left his room. Arthur was right. If they just stayed away, it would be fine. Eventually, they'd have to forget and move on. And the ball was coming up fast. It was Thursday and the ball would take place Saturday. This tragedy would all be over soon. 

Arthur was behaving in a painfully similar manner, avoiding the other at all costs. He didn’t see the point in meeting him once more, or even talking. They had already talked enough and it didn’t seem to solve any problems. He very much loved Alfred, that’s the reason why he was protecting him from falling deeper in love with him. If they went through with their love, it would be impossible to know how the people would react. Arthur always assumed the worst, and it wasn’t a pretty outcome in this case. He realized how much power the people actually had, they could overthrow a whole government if they tried. They had the power to kill authority if necessary, and they had done it before. He was afraid they would hurt Alfred, or do something worse. He was afraid that they would be unable to control their reactions, which he was almost certain wouldn’t be positive. In his mind, everything was going as planned. It didn’t matter if his own heart was broken or if he became unable to find happiness again. As long as Alfred was safe, he couldn’t wish for anything better.


	12. The King's Lover

It was Friday, a dim, morning fog rolled out around the palace, leaving everything ash-grey and dull. The pair hadn’t seen or talked to each other the entirety of the day before, both avoiding the other. It seemed like this day would go on similarly, until Arthur got news that he needed to take the King’s breakfast up to his room. 

“He won’t come down, it’s almost past noon!”

“He won’t let anyone in!”

“Perhaps he has escaped after all!” 

The whispers and rumors were spread around quickly, and Arthur hated the fact that he seemed to be the only one who really knew what was going on. Alfred wanted him to come up, that’s the only thing. 

“You’re the personal servant, it’s your duty to make sure he’s alright!” 

That was the argument the other servants made while giving Arthur the tray with the King’s breakfast. He didn’t argue back, it was useless, so he simply took it without a word and made his way up to Alfred’s room. The halls were unusually quiet, and as he reached the door to knock, he started wondering if something really was wrong. His knocks on the great wooden door echoed around; silence again. Until. 

“You can come in, Arthur” 

The voice was lacking in any emotion, and his name might have just been one in a list the way he said it. Even so, Arthur carried on and entered the room, setting down the tray before he glanced upwards to see the other, already dressed, sitting on his bed and facing away from him. The few moments of awkward silence sliced through his confidence, and suddenly he felt exposed. Deciding to say something before he left, the servant cleared his throat and mumbled.

“Today’s breakfast is hot porridge accompanied with wheat bread, crackers and jelly on the side, with tea to drink. Please enjoy.” He barely had the strength to say the last words before he hurriedly tried to rush out the door. Of course, he knew it wasn’t going to work just like that, and he was proven right when Alfred suddenly stood up and spoke again.

“Don’t start acting like a servant just now”

The bitter words made Arthur freeze, and he hesitantly turned around, feeling incredibly uncomfortable as the other continued.

“That’s nothing like you. I bet you already knew why I refused to go downstairs” 

“Yes, I did. But making people worry like that, are you trying to make rumors happen? That’s nothing like you at all, either!” Arthur countered, clearly upset at the other’s irresponsibility to keep his reputation clean and transparent. 

“It was the only way to get you to come up here. If I asked for you personally, you wouldn't have showed up would you?”

Silence again, and this time Arthur was completely baffled at how well the other understood him. It wasn’t fair, he couldn’t understand Alfred at all sometimes. “No…” It was a weak, but forgiving answer, which made Alfred smile in the slightest as he walked up to him. 

“This evening, after dinner, I want you to meet me up here, in my room.” He began, taking a second’s hesitation before he added, “We need to talk.” 

Arthur looked back at him, his eyes wide and nervous at hearing that, but he knew they couldn’t go on avoiding each other forever. He looked uncomfortably down at the ground, then assured the King with a nod. “Fine.”   
His agreeableness seemed to lighten up a good mood in Alfred, and he smiled more, probably in relief. He truly wanted to hug Arthur as of now, but doing so would probably cause an explosive reaction, so he didn’t. He needed to remember what he had figured out before, that in loving Arthur, he needed to give him his space. Now satisfied, he sat down to eat his breakfast, returning to his usual bubbly self. The servant took that as a sign that he could leave, and started making his way out the door, pausing only to say something he just remembered.

“Alfred?”

The other looked up in question. “Yes?”

“....the ball is tomorrow” Arthur informed him, glancing back over his shoulder to catch his reaction. To his surprise, he seemed perfectly calm. 

“I know” 

With that, Arthur left and went to explain to the other staff that the King was perfectly fine, he just needed some time for himself. 

__________________________________________________________________________

Evening arrived, and the morning fog had been replaced by a chilly breeze, indicating autumn was soon to come. Everyone was busy cleaning and setting up the grand ballroom, just like the King had ordered. Chefs were preparing the mountains of food to be served for dinner the next day, and maids were dusting out expensive carpets and polishing floors. It seemed Alfred was dining alone once again. He wondered if Arthur had noticed the color of the centerpieces matched his eyes, or that the music the orchestra was practicing was written with him in mind. He wasn’t expecting him to know, but it would’ve been nice if his work had been acknowledged. 

Arthur, on the other hand, was far too busy to make the connection. People were running around, trying to make everything perfect, while he was running around in his mind, trying to escape the fact that Alfred would have to choose a lady to marry. Yet, he hadn’t forgotten his request to meet him after dinner. In the morning, he had been sure he’d go, but now he was having second thoughts. What did he want to talk about anyways? Giving him a second chance? Or establishing the fact that they needed to be just friends from now on, for everything to work out? There was no way to know for sure, and in the end, it was the ambiguity that convinced him to go. 

An hour or so passed before Arthur had to take a glance into the dining room. Candles were lit, but they glowed faint, and he could hear nothing but silence. Alfred must have just finished, he thought. Arthur then glanced back the way he came from, at the end of the hallway. Servants were climbing over each other trying to decorate the walls just right with felt ribbons and what not, that should keep them busy for a while. He took a deep breath and resumed walking towards the stairs, hoping no one noticed him sneaking away from where he should be working. Thankfully they didn’t, and he was able to get upstairs without trouble. Now, anxiety was settling in his stomach, making him wonder what Alfred would say. It was his decision after all, to keep pursuing useless love, or to obey the tradition he promised. 

“Yes, and he must go through with whatever he chooses”, Arthur said to himself, just before knocking on Alfred’s door. To his surprise, it was opened by him, an action which broke quite a few rules of the nobility code; however, Alfred didn’t seem to care. He smiled softly at him and invited him in, as if they were just two regular friends. Arthur choked back a lecture and walked inside, his thoughts mixing on what kind of talk this would be. 

“You came after all…”

“Of course I did”

“Funny, you don’t always listen to what I ask of you.”

“This is different.”

“How?”

“We can’t keep ignoring each other forever.” 

That made Alfred laugh for some reason, and he walked to sit on his bed, motioning for the other to sit next to him. With reluctance, Arthur sat down, prepared to listen.

“That’s true. I’d miss you too much…”

Arthur stiffened up at that, sensing that this talk wasn’t going the way he hoped it would: ending this. His worst fears and his best dreams came true when Alfred, with much nervousness, shifted closer to him, letting his hand rest on top of his own. 

“Arthur, I need to know something”

“Yes?”

“Do you love me? Honestly? I don’t care what you’re trying to do, distancing yourself in order to protect me or something, putting that aside, do you?”

His bright blue eyes, so clear and almost innocent in their intent, stared back at him with utmost admiration and respect. Arthur was left speechless, his mouth slightly agape in shock and wonder. So he did know what he was doing, he had been underestimating him all this time. But those thoughts had no time to settle in his mind because now Alfred was eagerly awaiting his answer. Looking at his expression, how on Earth could he lie? How unfair! He quickly turned away, not able to keep eye-contact as he mumbled out his obvious response.

“Yes…” 

Apparently, this wasn’t enough for the other, as he reached to gently cup Arthur’s chin, forcing him to look back at him. He felt his heart skip a beat at the intensity of his gaze, but now, he couldn’t look away. 

“Look at me and say it. I won’t believe you otherwise” Alfred spoke sternly, wanting to make sure he really meant it. He had been waiting for this moment for far too long. 

“Yes” He replied again, a bit firmer in his decision, though he still regretted the consequences of saying it so freely. 

“I love you, too” 

A moment passed, just long enough to let the words spoken get soaked up into the atmosphere. After that, both recognizing their mutually desired love, Alfred could see no reason to hold back. He gingerly caressed Arthur’s cheek before bringing their lips together, so softly it was impossible to think anything negative could come from it. 

Arthur knew what was coming, even before the kiss. Yet the second their lips touched, he visibly shivered, overcome with the most frustrating, conflicting emotions. Of course he wanted it, but letting his happen would mean destroying Alfred’s chance at a safe future. And so, he pulled away before either of them could truly enjoy it, looking back at him with a pained expression.

“Alfred, I can’t…”

“Why? Because loving me is so bad, is it? Because you want me to go marry some girl, follow tradition, and be safe rather than happy? It’s like you think I’m incapable of making my own damn decisions!”

He had suddenly raised his voice, and it was enough to shut Arthur up. The servant looked back at him with wide eyes, just now realizing exactly how he felt. He hadn’t meant to make him feel that way at all!

“I just-... I didn’t want them to hurt you. I didn’t want them to think-”

“I don’t care what they think!” Alfred suddenly cut him off, grabbing him by his shoulders, trying to make his stubborn head understand. “Please, if you really do love me, can’t you at least act like it? Just for today? Please…”

Now this was very unexpected. He was pleading to him, with those eyes again. Arthur sucked in a breath, now noticing that Alfred looked just as pained as he felt. Maybe he was the one being unfair after all. Maybe he deserved just this one night of ignorance. 

“But...just for today, alright?”

The sound of happiness that Alfred made was indescribably loud, but before Arthur could tell him to quiet down, he was pushed onto his back, the other landing on top of him with a grin. 

“Yes! Haha, I never want this day to end then!” He laughed, pressing kisses all over the other’s face. 

“Wh-! K-Keep it quiet though!” Arthur reminded, though he couldn’t hold back a large smile at what he heard. Alfred was simply too cute. He wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him down closer because that’s all he’d ever wanted to do. “I don’t want this day to end, either” He mumbled softly, looking up at the love of his life. And his love looked back down, his eyes gleaming with an abundance of joy. 

“Then I’ll be sure to make the most of it!” the King declared, only to pepper his cheeks with sweet kisses afterwards. Arthur laughed quietly, thinking this was the happiest he’d been in a long while.

“So will I…”

“Did you notice anything about the decorations?” Alfred suddenly asked, pausing his kissing frenzy in order to let his lover reply. 

“Huh? No….did you do something?” He replied, confused and a bit afraid to not have noticed something. 

Alfred looked disappointed for a second, but that was quickly replaced by his endearing smile.   
“Yes, for you. I choose the flowers to be roses, since I knew you’d like those. The curtains, the tablecloths, the centerpieces, they’re green like your eyes. I told them to make tea because you seem to like it so much. And dark chocolate as a dessert because even though you can be bitter, you’re still my favorite thing. They told me to think of what I liked and you were the only thing I could think about…”

Each word he whispered against Arthur’s ear just sent him further into heaven, until he was long gone and the only emotion he could feel was Alfred’s love along with his own, flowing throughout his body. He couldn’t even think of what to say, so he just said his name, breathlessly.

“Oh, Alfred…” 

________________________________________________________________

“Oh! Alfred~!” Arthur moaned loudly as his lover thrust into him. Their clothes were discarded elsewhere and their bodies moved as one on the bed as they made love. Arthur was panting, his own body flushed a bright pink, and his hands gripped the sheets tightly. Above him was Alfred, not looking much different, except his hands were firmly around the other’s hips, holding them down as he rolled his hips forwards, over and over again. 

“Y-you need to be quiet, Artie. Someone...might hear..” Alfred gasped out, fighting to keep his own moans at an acceptable volume. 

“How the hell can I be quiet when you’re the one making me feel so fucking good, b-bloody hell!” He exclaimed back at him, something Alfred couldn’t argue with, but it made him move faster, wanting to drive Arthur to the point of climaxing. 

Arthur was more than happy at the change of pace, putting a hand over his mouth to try and muffle the now louder moans coming from his mouth. But Alfred didn’t just stop there, his determination allowed him to reach down and take Arthur’s cock in his hand, stroking it in time with his thrusts. It caused his lover to nearly scream in pleasure, desperately bucking his hips up into his hand. 

“O-oh yes! Please! I- I can’t- Alfred I’m going to-” He found that he was unable to complete his sentences as a wave of pleasure wiped his mind blank, and he came with a silent scream, arching his back off the bed. 

With just the sight of it, Alfred felt himself come undone as well. He pulled out just quickly enough to make a mess on Arthur’s stomach. “A-Arthur…” He moaned out weakly, his whole body shaking at the intensity of it all. 

After they both had caught their breaths, Arthur was the first to speak, reaching up to pull the other close. “I love you...so much, god you’re so perfect, I fucking love you” Whether it was the lust speaking, or his actual mind, Alfred didn’t know, but he wasn’t going to question it at the moment. He just grinned and leaned down to kiss him with as much passion as he could show.

“I love you too, Arthur. I won’t love anyone else but you…”


	13. The Ball

It was Saturday, the ball was to be held that night at 6 o'clock sharp. Faint sunlight filtered into the room, waking Alfred up with it’s warm embrace. He slowly blinked open his eyes, and stared at the ceiling for a long while as memories from last night came flooding back into his mind. A beaming smile formed on his lips as he recalled the events. Arthur. He quickly looked to the other side of the bed, his heart leaping at the thought that the other might be there. But as quickly as the feeling came, it got replaced with an empty pang of loneliness. He was gone. Alfred’s hand reached to the spot where he assumed Arthur had fallen asleep at, the sheets still carried his faint scent, and they were fairly warm to the touch. He couldn’t have woken up much earlier than he did, which made him even more disappointed.   
“Arthur whyyy..” he whined. He couldn’t understand why he had left, he thought they were on good terms now. But that was Arthur for you. You think you finally got him for good and then he leaves with no explanation. Alfred got up with a sigh, he hoped he got an explanation when they saw each other at least. That thought gave him the motivation to get ready for the day. He was able to shower and dress himself before his servants arrived with breakfast. 

After completing his daily duties, which consisted of boring meetings with the Jack and other members of royalty, Alfred was eager to find Arthur. He leapt to his feet when his last meeting ended and started walking towards the exit, but to his surprise Yao stood in the way. 

“Your Majesty, it’s time to prepare you for the ball don’t you agree?” he questioned, his tone rather serious. Alfred pouted and looked a little confused.  
“But it’s only noon and the ball isn’t for another like 6 hours! I can get prepared in plenty of time…”  
“Nonsense, that’s just enough time. The official ball begins at 6, but the fair ladies will be arriving much earlier than that. Plus, you’ll be required to greet each and every one of them. Not to mention, that attire is not suitable at all for an event of such importance as this. I’ll call a handful of servants right away to take care of it.”  
Alfred let out a defeated sigh and nodded wearily. There was no use in arguing with him, and he hoped to see Arthur at the ball anyway. Oh, yes he was attending the ball as well. The thought of him dressed up all classy made his cheeks flush and his stomach filled with excited butterflies. The servant’s Yao sent for arrived at his side quickly enough and Alfred let them do their thing, he was too preoccupied daydreaming of his first ball with his wonderful lover. As he was made to take another bath, then sit for hours as his hair was combed and styled, and then stand for hours as tailors made sure his suit was perfect to the tee, he daydreamed. Alfred thought about their first dance together, the dinner, the laughter and the music. He simply could not wait! When the servants finished up, Yao entered the room again, excusing himself.   
“Pardon, your Majesty, a word?”   
Alfred nodded and the servants hurriedly made their way out. Yao continued into the room and stopped just beside him.   
“Excuse me if this is none of my business but I couldn’t help but wonder if you expect your personal servant to attend?” he started out, a little quietly as if he was aware of a secret.   
“Um, why wouldn’t he be able to attend?” Alfred responded, very confused and a little afraid of what was to come next.   
“Well, while he used to be a guard, his official title was demoted to a servant. Therefore, he won’t be allowed to attend as a guest. He will be a dinner servant along with several others that we picked out when we planned this. They will only be allowed to enter the grand ballroom to deliver food and beverage. In fact, most act as if they weren’t there.” Yao explained carefully, aware that with each word, the King’s appearance grew more and more saddened. He prepared himself for one of his outbursts.   
“I- …” Alfred had to take a deep breath, taking in the fact that he wouldn’t be able to dance with Arthur after all. But he blamed himself for even thinking about it like that. Of course, this ball was only for the high class, the royals. Yet another stupid law about class division that he’d loved to throw out the window, but never brave enough to actually do it. “I understand. Thank you, Yao.” He wasn’t even going to question why Arthur didn’t tell him about this, he already knew the answer. Even after last night, they weren’t supposed to be together. Even when they declared their love, it was only within the walls of his room. No one else could know about their relationship.   
“Very well, you should follow me then. I heard Lady Anya is to arrive in a few minutes.” Yao dipped his head and turned to the door. His voice held no surprise but he was a little shocked at the mature reaction from the other. Perhaps he’s really fit to lead, he thought. 

The ladies and princesses of the Kingdom were very beautiful. Anya, Edith, Sakura, Monika, Isabel, even their names radiated beauty. Alfred had never been around or even seen such graceful and elegant women. Every time he bowed to greet, he made sure to repeat their name at least 5 more times in his head. What would be more embarrassing than forgetting the name of one of the prettiest girls in the kingdom. He wasn’t about to be that guy, even if he wasn’t actually looking for one of them to be his bride. They at least deserved that respect. 

“And...Princess Joan from the Northern Territory, daughter of Sir Louis…” The last of the names called made Alfred snap back to reality and he greeted her with a smile. This princess though didn’t look entirely like the rest, she didn’t really carry the high and mighty disposition of the others. Though she was dressed to perfection, the air around her didn’t carry the same effect.  
“I didn’t know Sir Louis had another daughter” one of the guards to Alfred’s side whispered to another person. But the King, thinking they were unfairly judging the poor maiden because of her looks, made it a point to prove them wrong.  
“Princess Joan, a pleasure to meet you. May I add you’re rather very beautiful!” He beamed with an even bigger smile. The princess smiled back and took a bow.  
“An even bigger pleasure to meet you, my King. I hope we can share a dance later” she replied, then went off into the castle. Though now the whispers were about him finally expressing an interest in a lady, Alfred thought it was better than having them spread hate towards the poor girl. He turned to one of his guards and asked for the time.   
“The time? Why, it’s nearly 5 o’clock, your Highness.” Damn had he really stood there greeting guests for 3 whole hours? Royal life sure was different, he still doubted he could ever truly get adjusted to everything.   
“I guess I should head in and make sure everyone has found their seats. Dinner will be served in an hour, yes?”   
“Yes, your Majesty”   
Alfred headed back into the castle, wondering where Arthur was at the time. He really missed him.  
. . .

Arthur had woken up early in the morning, knowing full well he couldn’t be seen sneaking out of the King’s bedchamber or else he’d surely be hanged. He sighed as he left the comfortable embrace of his lover and quickly got dressed. He pressed his ear to the door to make sure the coast was clear before carefully prying it open and sneaking out as quietly as he could. He made his way back to the servant’s room to fetch a change of clothes and fix his hair. Once he looked decent again, he remembered what day it was. Oh right, the ball. That dreaded, horrible day had come where he had to be forced to watch Alfred dance and socialize with several women while he picked up dirty plates. Thinking about all the girls flirting with him just made him angrier than he would’ve liked. Of course they were all royals, they would be beautiful and probably irresistible as they tried to win the title of “Queen”. Alfred would surely not fall for any of their charms, right? No, he couldn’t. Arthur told himself, trying to convince himself that what they had was real, but the more he looked at it realistically, the more cynical he became of their whole secret relationship. They could never date publicly so what was the point of having it at all? Plus, the heir thing was still a problem so even if he could become Queen, it would be a huge step back if the lineage was unable to continue. Alfred should just really focus on finding a queen, then the kingdom’s worries would be put to rest and everything would go back to being the way it was. Then, hopefully he’ll still be able to be his personal servant and see him every once in a while, from a distance. He’ll still be able to be around him, and having him be safe was most important of all. Yes, that was it. Arthur sighed as he repeated that over and over in his head. Alfred didn’t need to fall in love with his queen, they could just be together to produce an heir and that’s all. And with that, Arthur locked himself in the room and let the tears that had been running down his cheeks for a while turn into hopeless sobs. 

The time was 6 o’clock sharp and the grand ballroom was booming with music, laughter, and the sound of silverware on plates. The delicious scent of freshly made bread, cakes, and desserts filled the air, as with the sharp scent of spices and flavorful aromas of intricately crafted delicacies with ingredients from all over the kingdom. It was a feast even through the royal’s eyes. Alfred could not believe how over the top everything was. At first, his eyes gleamed with delight as he feasted upon the greatest meal of his life, but something within him held him back from indulging fully. The fact that for most of his life he had never experienced this because he was starving most days in the countryside. He had to work hard hours on the farm so it could give back to him. He could never afford sugar or spices so everything he ate was bland. And this was the norm with most of the peasants in the countryside. Knowing that, it pretty much ruined his appetite for the rest of the dinner. The only thing that perked him up was stealing glances from Arthur every time he passed by his table. Though the other didn’t smile or acknowledge him, he knew it was all part of the act, or at least he hoped. Yao must have noticed him trying to get Arthur’s attention because he cleared his throat to get his attention back on the main objective of the night.  
“Perhaps it’s time to ask a special lady to dance?” he suggested, looking over at the tables full of women glancing back at the King.   
“Oh, right. I guess I’ll do that” Alfred mumbled, a little nervous to approach such elegant ladies. He never had any luck doing that sort of thing, and now knowing they were literal princesses, his confidence suddenly plummeted. As Alfred stood up, he felt the gaze of hundreds upon him, which only made him stiffen up in fear. His eyes scanned the room for the least threatening option, but all the women were staring back at him so intensely he wanted to run away. However, once his gaze fell upon...Joan was it? He sighed in relief knowing that she had offered to share a dance, and he thought it would only be fair if he asked her first. He awkwardly made his way to her table and then realized he had no idea how to formally ask someone to dance. So he did it the Alfred way.   
“Uh...J- Princess Joan, do you wanna-, would you like to dance?” he stuttered out. I fucked it up, he thought. I really did it this time.   
“It would be my pleasure, my King” she replied, taking his hand as she stood up. Alfred smiled quickly as he led her to the dance floor, still very nervous about dancing with a princess- a PRINCESS for the first time.   
“Artie don’t fail me now” he whispered to himself as he gently put his arm around her waist. And just like that, they were dancing. Arthur was right, it was much easier to do when there was music to keep the beat. Alfred’s limbs seem to know what to do and he tried to make his movements as smooth as possible. He was really doing it!   
“Is this your first time dancing?” Joan suddenly asked, and Alfred realized he had been too focused on dancing properly to even notice the princess.   
“Ah, n-...yes with a princess if that’s what you mean” he replied, almost giving away his secret dance lessons.  
“I’m impressed! You must have had a great teacher when you were young” she complimented, giving him an innocent smile that seemed too innocent somehow.   
“Well, not that young…” Alfred laughed, not wanting to lie to her, but he couldn’t exactly tell her the truth either. He thought she would gloss over his, but to his surprise she seemed more intrigued.   
“Really? How young then?” she questioned, her eyes seemed to be staring at him very intently, it kind of put him on edge for some reason.  
“Well...maybe a few months ago or something…” the stare wouldn’t stop, it was as if she was drawing out the truth from him and Alfred couldn’t stop himself. “...I actually used to be a farm boy so I kinda had to learn everything pretty quick” he caught himself saying and immediately regretted it. Yes, everyone in the Spade Kingdom knew he was a farm boy, but he’d tried hard to put the past behind him so the royals would accept him as one of their own. However, this conversation had just brought up the past he wanted to bury.   
“You-! Oh my, that’s interesting” Joan actually had a look of surprise on her face, which made Alfred confused as a result.   
“Wait, you didn’t know?” he questioned, tilting his head to the side as he tried to figure out her character.   
“N-..I mean yes I knew, but just thinking about it like that, well it’s new to me, so…” she trailed off, now sounding flustered. Also not sounding like the rest of the royals. Alfred’s intuition yelled at him that something was off, and he listened. If she wasn’t a princess then who was she and what was she doing here?  
“Yes, quite…” Alfred hummed, now staring back at her with the same intensity. Two can play at this game.   
“...My King, then you must know the countryside lifestyle pretty well, wouldn’t you say?” her voice was a little more hushed as she leaned closer to him. He narrowed his eyes, but leaned close as well.   
“Yes, I’d say so. Why do you ask?”  
“My King, you must know their living conditions…”  
“The famine, the taxes, and the poverty, yes I know it all if that’s what you’re asking” Alfred snapped back, a little angry that she was bringing the conversation up. Not because he didn’t want to fix it, but he had the power to fix it, yet he was too afraid to be the leader. A moment of silence passed between them, and in that moment they both became aware of the several pairs of eyes staring at them from the other ends of the dance floor. The King and the girl he had taken the most interest in were dancing and whispering closely to each other, well that was a sight indeed. Joan turned her attention back to Alfred, a more serious expression on her face. 

“If you want to fix it, listen to me very closely. Go dance with other girls for a while, enjoy yourself, just for show. Then later, meet me outside, by the greenhouse. We need to talk” she suddenly stopped dancing and bowed to him, hinting that he should as well. “Thank you for the lovely dance, my King.” she smiled again and turned to go back to her table. Before Alfred could process what just happened, three girls came up to him pleading for their turn to dance. He forced a smile and accepted his fate. As he danced and danced, he tried to figure out who that girl was and what she meant by “fixing it”. Maybe she meant good. It always bothered him that it was up to him to come up with a way to make both the peasant and royals happy. But now, perhaps someone could show him the way. He decided that he would go and meet her later that night. 

*** Later that night ***

The air was chilly and Alfred could see his breath as he stepped out into the darkness of the night. He was so tired of dancing with so many girls, never in his life had he experienced such a thing. All he wanted to do now was change into comfy pajamas and get some rest. But he was too curious about this girl to do that. So he found himself walking towards the greenhouse around midnight. A crazy thing really. 

Soon, he spotted another shadow, he could make out Joan’s soft blueberry dress in the moonlight.   
“You came, I’m glad.” she started, dropping the formal title, which surprised Alfred. She was not Spadian, this was for sure.   
“Who are you? And why do you want to help me?” he replied sternly, not wanting to trust a complete stranger until he had more information.   
“I suppose I owe you an explanation.” Looking around to make sure no one was there, Joan took a breath, “I’m a spy for the Republic of Diamonds. I came here to see what the situation was since our countries’ alliance fell through. Our government heard that the Spadian monarchy had found an heir, and this was a threat to its transition to a democratic society. Therefore, I was sent to determine what kind of person you were. But I’m so overjoyed, you are like us! I can’t wait to-”  
“Did you say...Republic of Diamonds?!” Alfred cut her off, his head spinning too fast to listen to all the information that he was just given. “You mean Kingdom of Diamonds? I thought that didn’t exist anymore. I thought you guys were...well dead?” He clearly remembered receiving the news from the Spadian royals when he was around 10 years old. After a long civil war and uprising, the Kingdom of Diamonds collapsed on itself and people either died or fled to neighboring kingdoms.   
“Well...yes the Kingdom died about 10 years ago or so, but it turned into a republic after the rebels took over the monarchy.” Joan explained as-a-matter-of-factly. Alfred just stared at her in shock, had they been lied to?   
“What do you mean by republic?”  
“Um, you don’t know? Well we Diamonsians were fed up with one person dictating the rules of the country, so once the rebellion started, we wanted to impose a system that would make sure power was equally balanced in the government. We called it a republic, power to the people. We have a president and a few committees. We want the same for our Spadian neighbors, but we need your help.” Joan looked intently back at him, hoping that whatever she said would make sense to him. It took a few moments of silence, but Alfred couldn’t hide the grin that came to his face just then. He wanted to jump up in joy.   
“So it is possible then! You have no idea, we talk about this in the countryside all the time! One of my friends can’t shut up about wanting to take back the power from the monarchy. He’s super smart as well, his name is Kiku. What you just described there, has been his dream for decades! Can we really make this happen?” he whispered excitedly, trying to keep his voice down the best he could. This was exactly what he needed.   
“We need a plan first. But I’m afraid I’m supposed to be on my way back home tomorrow. Is there any way you can buy us time?” she could see the excitement in his eyes, and it was infectious. However, they were talking about overthrowing a monarchy here. Any mistake could literally cost them their lives. Alfred relied a little too much on intuition and couldn't help but blurt out.   
“Marry me!” he shouted a little too loud for her liking. The mistake was noticed quickly enough as Joan gave him a cold glare. “It’s nothing personal, but if I choose you to be the queen, the action will calm the royals down for a while, plus we could spend more time alone to discuss.” He explained in a more hushed tone this time. Joan looked a little skeptical at first, but slowly started nodding.   
“That’s not such a bad idea. But we have to be careful, they cannot find out I’m not from here. And-” she suddenly stopped as they both heard a twig snap, someone was there. From where Joan was standing she could see a faint shadow quickly disappear behind some bushes, though they didn’t run away completely. They were still watching. She glanced back at Alfred, knowing there was only one thing to do. “Alfred...kiss me”  
He stared back at her in confusion and quickly began to look for excuses. “Wh- no I can’t do that. I-” he stuttered out, thinking of Arthur in the back of his mind. Even if it wasn’t real, he still couldn’t help but feel guilty about it, it didn’t feel right.   
“Alfred, someone is listening. Do you want us accused of treason or is the future queen just in love with her king?” she whispered harshly, before pulling him into a kiss before the other could object again. She didn’t let go until she heard footsteps quickly run away, confirming that the intruder was out of earshot. Alfred pushed her away, the dreaded sense of guilt overcoming him. “I’m sorry, it’s just a kiss though did it bother you that much?” Joan apologized, seeming a little hurt.   
“It’s just...no, I’m sorry. I actually have a - well...I’m kind of in love with someone.” Alfred mumbled slowly, looking at the ground now. This is the first time he’d said it out loud to someone else and it felt great. “But I can’t make them my queen because….they’re a man. So we wouldn’t be able to produce an heir” he finished with a sigh. Joan looked a little surprised, but she was quick to console him, understanding his situation.   
“The more the reason to throw out all these silly rules” she replied, putting a hand on his shoulder. “If we can do this, there won’t be a reason to keep you apart from him anymore.” Alfred’s expression cheered up hearing that and he nodded in agreement.   
“Yes, we need to do this.”   
“Shall we head back, it’s getting pretty cold”  
“Of course, my queen” he snickered, practicing for what was to come and led her back to the castle. He couldn’t wait to tell Arthur the good news in the morning.


	14. The Ball - Arthur's POV

The time was 6 o’clock sharp and the grand ballroom was booming with music, laughter, and the sound of silverware on plates. Arthur sighed to himself as he adjusted his gloves and prepared to serve dinner along several other servants. They chatted amongst themselves, complaining and making fun of the over-the-top royals in the ballroom. When he was still a guard, he never really had a legitimate conversation with any of the servants, he really didn’t even think twice about them. He felt out of place, yet he couldn’t help but overhear their conversations.   
“You would’ve thought with the King being from the countryside that things would’ve changed ‘round here already” one of them argued.  
“Yea, just because he has some sort of mark on him, he’s trying to get accepted into their class and forgot about all of us down here. I would want to forget where I came from if I was him, but what a waste.” the one next to him scoffed. Arthur bit his lip, trying not to let their comments make him say something he would regret. Yes they were talking badly about Alfred, but he couldn’t defend him without giving away they had some sort of connection.  
“Oi, newbie, he even took your title away, aren’t you gonna do something about it?” suddenly aware that they were talking about him, Arthur spun around and quickly searched for words.   
“I- that wasn’t his doing, it was written in his father’s will. While I’m upset about it, there’s nothing I can do to change it” he decided to avoid problems and just state the facts as they were. However, the servant who called him out didn’t take it the way he hoped.  
“Oh so you’re just gonna let them walk all over you just because they have fancy titles or whatever. Screw it, you’re just like them, you’re part of the problem” he snarled and pushed past him on his way out. The other servants murmured in agreement and began filtering out of the room with several plates of food to serve. Arthur said nothing as he watched them all leave. It’s not that he was unaware of the class differences, but he always saw it as a duty to the Kingdom. If everyone acted their part then the kingdom could survive. Then why did he feel so empty? And why was the kingdom falling apart? He shook his head to clear the thoughts away, he wasn’t ready to think that way. Instead, he joined the rest of the servants in the ballroom and tried to avoid Alfred’s gaze as much as he could. 

It had been about two hours into the grand ball, and Arthur was starting to regret being there at all. While trying his best to avoid Alfred, he had run into a certain guard about 3 times already. He thought that the worst part would be watching girls flirt with his lover, but he had completely forgotten that Francis would be there as well. Normally, they’d annoy the hell out of each other and no one would care, but since he got demoted to servant, there was no way he could yell at the other like he used to. At least not in public like this. It was probably the second worst thing in his life at the moment.   
“Oh Arthurrrrr” his blood boiled at the sing-song sound of the blond guard’s voice. Francis came to a stop right next to him, a little too close for comfort. “Don’t you look adorable dressed up like that, perhaps you should try the maid’s attire, I think it suits you better don’t you agree?” he laughed, a mischievous glint in his eye.  
“No. I don’t agree” Arthur grunted back, a short but effective response, he thought. He stared straight ahead of him with his hands crossed. He wanted nothing to do with him right now.  
“Aw, what’s wrong? You know we haven’t had the chance to talk since you’re always with his Highness. Miss him much?” Francis pouted, trying to at least get his attention.   
“No why would I miss him?” Arthur quickly replied, shooing those thoughts away. “It’s not as if I chose to be his servant in the first place”  
“But you two are close though, you knew him before he was king. Don’t tell me that it’s all professional now? The guard pointed out. The truth caught Arthur by surprise, and he finally turned to face him.  
“Nothing happened then, and nothing will ever happen between us. Why are you so interested? Don’t you have somewhere to be?”   
“I never said anything happened” Francis chuckled, “I’m only asking since once he picks out a lovely maiden, I doubt he’ll have time for you.” The other scowled at him, really hating the fact that what he said really made sense.   
“I don’t really care. Plus I’m his personal servant. I doubt anything would change.”  
“You really haven’t been watching have you? It already has.” Francis sighed and looked up at the dance floor.   
“What do you-” Arthur trailed off as he followed his gaze towards where Alfred was dancing with one of the women. Though it didn’t look like they were just dancing. They were so close, and seemed to be whispering to each other. His hand delicately on her waist while the other caressed her hand so lovingly as if they were made to fit together. Nothing could distract them as they gazed deeply into each other’s eyes. They looked like a true couple, and one that had been together for a long time.   
“Seems to me he already found a future queen, huh?” Francis smiled at the sight. He always had a soft spot for young love. But as he turned back towards Arthur, he realized the other wasn’t there anymore. Confused, he searched around wondering where he could’ve gone. “Hm, perhaps there’s more to this than I thought…” he murmured to himself. 

Arthur gasped for air as he shut the door of the pantry behind him. He had rushed into the kitchen as fast as he could before anyone saw the pitiful tears running down his cheeks. No, not again, he cursed. It really was stupid to cry over him twice in one day. But he couldn’t help it, not after what he saw. Was Alfred really looking at her like that? Why? Countless thoughts ran through his mind, rendering him unable to move from a corner. He couldn’t even fight them because he wasn’t doing anything wrong. Alfred was just following tradition, he was doing what was expected of him. He couldn’t be angry at him for that, so instead he got angry at himself for having these stupid feelings of jealousy.   
“God I’m such a damn fool, thinking this could work out at all” he hissed to himself, covering his face with his hands. “Dammit, why did I think there was any hope!” Arthur cried, looking up at the dusty cream ceiling as the tears continued to create rivers on his skin. No longer trying to hold them back, he let himself come undone. All the frustration, the worries, the pain, the anger, the guilt, the jealousy, the grief. Had it all been for nothing? His gaze wandered down to the mounds of food on shelves. It made him even angrier, knowing that here he was crying over the love of his life while people were starving every day in the countryside. Fuming, he wiped the foolish tears off his face, and tried to gather back the little sense of self-worth he was clinging to. That is until he spotted a half filled-bottle of whiskey at the end of the shelf. He only hesitated for a moment before he reached for it, popped it open, and realized that no one would even be looking for him anyway. The guards saw him as a servant, the servants saw him as a problem. And Alfred, well this would make it easier for him to move on. He put his favorite poison to his lips and drank every last drop. 

** Later that night **

Arthur slowly blinked open his eyes to discover he never had been more dizzy in his life. He groaned as he pulled his body up from the cold ground and tried to remember where he was. It was dark and he could barely make out anything in front of him. Standing up proved to be even more difficult as he had to hold onto one of the shelves for balance. Slowly but surely he began making his way to the exit, following the faint light under the door of the pantry. With a weak push, he was able to liberate himself from the darkness though he immediately regretted it. “Fuck, ow!” he cursed as the bright kitchen light blinded him and made his head spin again. He stumbled around for a while, squinting, before he got adjusted to the brightness and realized where he was. Memories then came flooding back to him, about Alfred, about that girl. Arthur grit his teeth with hate and wondered what they were up to. Now a little more stable, though still very drunk, he found his way out of the kitchen and peered into the ballroom that was just around the corner. It was mostly empty now with several servants cleaning up and one or two royals bidding each other goodbye. He quickly realized that it must be quite late now, and that he should probably retreat to his sleeping quarters before anyone noticed just how intoxicated he was. Arthur sighed and headed the opposite way, trying to walk as normally as he could when his head was pounding like crazy. He stared at the ground as he shuffled his feet along, not really having the motivation to move, and fully knowing there was no chance he was going to sleep tonight. On the brief moment he managed to lift his head, he looked out the window, noticing the bright full-moon in the sky. It shone so proudly as if it were mocking Arthur’s sadness with how beautiful it made the night. This was a new low for him, getting mad at the moon. He sighed to himself and was just about to move on when he noticed a figure in the darkness of the outside. His guard instincts began kicking in when he realized how rare it was for someone to be out this late at night. His eyes followed the figure, trying to determine who it was. It was only for a split second, but once the moonlight lit Alfred’s messy blond locks, specifically a certain cowlick that never seemed to behave, he began to run. Arthur ran outside without thinking, just knowing that there was something wrong. It wasn’t until he saw the greenhouse, that he saw the second shadow standing in front of it. Quickly, he found a hiding spot behind some bushes and watched as Alfred approached the other shadow. It only took the moonlight again to reveal the gorgeous blue gown and short, flowy locks of the princess. His heart broke again for the second time that night, but Arthur held onto the smallest piece of hope in his soul. Hope that this was all a misunderstanding. He held his breath as he tried to hear parts of their conversation, but they were whispering too softly for him to make out anything. This only served to annoy him further because from the way they were acting, it seemed like they were keeping some sort of secret. 

“Ugh, if only I could get a little closer….” he thought to himself, peeking out from the side of the bushes. He glared at them, hating how close they were and how they seemed to have gotten so close in a matter of hours. Pure jealousy ran through his veins as his brain entertained multiple scenarios where Alfred replaced him with this new girl. It was a bit irrational, but he was still very drunk and watching them, it all made sense. It made even more sense when Arthur finally heard part of their conversation.   
“Marry me!” Alfred exclaimed with excitement as if he had made up his mind about it before. Those words delivered a huge blow to Arthur’s heart, and the final piece of evidence his mind needed for him to completely shut down. So it really was over. Suddenly he felt chills and a wave of dizziness came over him, making him lose his footing. Crack. Arthur had stepped on a nearby branch, causing a sound too loud to miss.   
“Fuck” he cursed under his breath as he retreated back into the bushes, but it was evident that the couple had heard him. Yet, he was too curious to see what would happen next, so he stayed hiding. Later, he would regret that very decision as what he saw next would deliver the last and final blow to completely shut down any hope he had left for their relationship. The kiss. He watched as the two came close and committed the act so sinful to him, but he could not look away. The image burned into his mind and this time instead of anger, he felt a huge hole open up inside of him. He felt empty with grief, no tears could even express the emotions flowing through him at the moment. And when it was done, all Arthur could do with himself was run away. Run far far away into the night. He carried his unrequited feelings like useless pieces of armor that clung to him and pulled him down. He probably wouldn't have ever stopped until he ran into the person he least wanted to see, as if having his heart shattered wasn’t enough.   
“Arthur?” Francis put his arm out to hold him back, his voice carrying plenty of concern and rare seriousness. Arthur didn’t even try to struggle against him, but he looked to the ground instead, breathing hard. He felt weak and couldn’t bother to fight back. “Arthur what happened? Arthur?” the guard tried again, shaking him a bit when he got no response from the other.   
“None of your business” he finally managed to mumble out, still looking at his feet. However, after the adrenaline rush from the sudden running started fading away, he felt sick and his knees gave in. Embarrassingly, Francis was quick to catch him before he hit the ground.   
“Looks like it is now. You’ve been drinking, don’t try to lie to me I know you” he sighed and tried to steady him back on his feet while letting his weight rest on himself. “Let’s get you inside, it’s freezing and-”  
“You were right” Arthur suddenly cut him off. He raised his head to look up at the other, his eyes were red and puffy. “I love him. But it doesn’t matter anymore, he found someone else so you can stop bothering me about it” it was pitiful, but he had to fight back tears as he heard himself say it out loud. Francis looked less surprised than he would’ve liked, but still shocked nonetheless. He was quiet for a few moments before he replied.   
“I’m sorry Arthur, but we both know it’s for the best. He will be safe and happy. This is just the way things need to be, just give yourself time and it will be alright” he comforted. He didn’t know too many details about their situation, but to see the other this way, he must have really fallen in love. It hurt him to see him this way, even though he loved to tease and pester him, he still considered him a friend. Unfortunately his condolences seemed to have had the opposite effect as Arthur started sobbing.   
“I wish I never found him. Fuck it all!” he cried through clenched teeth. “I just want to forget it all, I need to forget.”   
“Arthur…” Francis quietly started, but trailed off as he realized the other was probably not in a state to listen to anything he had to say. He decided it would be better if he got some rest. “Let’s go inside, okay? Come on” the guard started walking forward, still holding onto Arthur to help him along. He was careful to scan the area for other guards as the pair walked into the castle. Fortunately, most of them were busy at the front gate where the King was arranging for Princess Joan to spend the night at one of the guest chambers. He didn’t dare mention that to Arthur as he headed towards the servants’ quarters. However, as they got closer, Arthur lifted up his head, realizing where he was being taken to and abruptly stopped. 

“No, I don’t want to go there. They hate me.”  
“I’m sure they don’t it must have been a misunderstanding-”  
“Don’t take me there...please” Arthur pleaded, which got Francis’s attention right away. He had never seen him like this, let alone trusting him to do the right thing. The guard sighed and nodded, quickly thinking of where to go next. He didn’t want there to be any rumors, but he figured it might be better to tell a few white lies in order to cover up Arthur’s affections for the King, which would be an ever bigger scandal. Francis led him to the guards’ quarters. A new guy had taken over Arthur’s old room, so he had to bring him into his own. Arthur in his bed wouldn’t be a new thing, though it would be for a different reason. Sure when they were younger there was an undeniable flame between them, a secret that surprisingly never had gotten out to the public. But it was never spoken about now. It was almost as if it never happened. As the pair walked into Francis’s room, Arthur seemed a little uneasy, though he didn’t complain. He slowly lowered himself on the bed with the help of the other.   
“Thank you...for this. Just- make sure no one knows I’m here. I wouldn’t hear the last of it if Gilbert and Antonio heard about this.” Arthur mumbled, giving him a rare smile. One look at that smile and Francis’s head filled with memories from the past. That precious time, how he had missed it. He smiled back at him, gently leaning closer as he basked in nostalgia.

“You’re welcome, and I’ll take care of it, don't worry. Now get some rest.” Their faces were just inches away from each other. Francis could see the heavy blush on the other’s cheeks, but he knew better than to think it was just the alcohol. Arthur’s brain was spinning as he looked back at him. Too many thoughts clouded his judgement, but at that moment he realized he had nothing to lose. He already knew he could tell when he was coming undone. It was no surprise to either of them when Arthur closed the gap and pressed their lips together into a kiss. Francis happily kissed back, taking the opportunity to push the other down on the bed. The two fell back into old habits almost naturally. It was messy, as expected of someone completely wasted, but for a split second the flame was back. Arthur let out a soft moan as his mouth was suddenly overtaken by the other’s tongue. Working almost magically to make him melt and squirm beneath him. Francis was undeniably one of the best kissers, and he knew just how to turn him into a needy mess. They gasped for breath as the kiss finally broke, but Francis got right back to it, pressing his lips against Arthur’s skin, trailing kisses down to his neck. That sent shivers down his spine and he tangled his fingers around his blond locks.   
“F-fuck...Francis…” Arthur panted, hoping that whatever this was would make him forget. Yes, this had to make him forget, even for a little while.   
“Mm? You’re enjoying this?” Francis purred, then stopped to look back at the masterpiece he had created beneath him. He admired every inch of the other’s soft, flushed skin. His hazy emerald eyes, messy hair, and swollen lips. That was a sight he’d never forget. Though he knew what had to happen next. “You look beautiful”   
“H-huh?” Arthur lifted his head up slightly, confused and not knowing if he heard him right. At this, Francis got off the bed and pressed a last kiss to Arthur’s forehead before stepping back. 

“Goodnight, Arthur” he smiled, and just like that he turned away and walked to the door. Arthur quickly sat up, his mouth open in shock, but he didn’t know what else to do. He watched as the other closed the door behind him and even stared at the spot for a few moments after. Slowly, the fog in his brain started lifting and he realized what had just happened. He felt angry then guilty then awful then empty again. Arthur looked up at the ceiling, wondering how he was ever going to sleep that night. If he couldn’t even have that, or whatever this was...then what was there to live for? He didn’t know anymore.


	15. The Plan (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is incomplete but I wanted to give a little update since I got this far. More to come!

Alfred woke up with a skip in his step the next morning. He was grinning from ear to ear as he woke up in the early morning, something he hated doing, but he was eager to talk to Arthur. At the ball the other night he barely got to talk to him and even though it had been less than a day he missed him immensely. Once he got dressed, the King jumped down the stairs and made his way to where breakfast was ready for him. Yao was already there, waiting for him to arrive so he could deliver the daily news. Before he could say anything though, Alfred couldn’t help but ask him.  
“Have you seen Arthur?” his baby blue eyes gleamed as he said his lover’s name. Yao looked a little surprised given the events of the night before, where he publicly courted Princess Joan in front of the entire party.   
“No, but if you require his assistance I can get someone to fetch him” he responded. Alfred thought about it for a second, wondering if maybe the other was too tired from his servant duties and slept in. He certainly didn’t want to bother his rest.   
“Ah, that’s alright. What’s the news today?”  
“Well...I suppose we should start planning the wedding ceremony.” Yao started, giving him an inquisitive look. He wondered if he really had chosen a queen already. His question caught the other a little off guard since hearing it out loud put him in the reality of the situation. But this was the plan, he had to pretend to want to marry her. He would try his best to be as convincing as possible.   
“Oh, yes! Last night was amazing! Princess Joan is just...just everything! What do you think about her? Be honest!”   
“Hm, well, I didn’t get the chance to speak with her much, but I trust your intuition, my King. Though...she certainly could brush up on her fashion…” he mumbled the last part. If there was anything to know about him it’s that when presented the option to judge he would show no mercy. Thankfully, Alfred either didn’t catch what he said or didn’t care because he just happily gobbled down his breakfast. “Perhaps we can plan a meeting later today to discuss the details of the ceremony, your Highness?”   
“Yea, that sounds uh-” Alfred cut himself off, noticing a certain lady approaching them both. She bowed in respect and smiled at him.  
“Your Highness, I’m so thankful to have been invited to stay for the night.” Joan really was a natural at this whole acting thing, he thought. Well she was a spy after all. Alfred smiled back at her.  
“It was my pleasure! Would you like to join me for breakfast?” he replied, hoping they could use the time to develop their plan a little more. Yao seemed to get the hint and stood up to excuse himself.   
“I’ll let you both get better acquainted” he took a short bow and left the room, leaving the pair alone except for a few servants. Alfred wondered if there was a way they could get complete privacy. Even though he was fairly certain the servants would approve of their plan, he couldn’t take any chances. Joan must have been thinking the same thing because there was no change in her deposition. She remained the cheery and shy princess as she sat down next to him.   
“Wow, look at all this delicious food. May I ask what your favorite dish is, my King?” She kept her act up, but her eyes seemed like they were up to something. Alfred trusted her and followed along.   
“Hm, it’s a tough choice but anything sweet is always delicious! Cake is probably one of the top things on my list though. And...by the way you can call me Alfred” he bit his lip, wondering if letting her drop his title was too forward of him, but they needed to show the world they were ready to get married in a matter of days.   
“Oh, um okay...Alfred, your Highness” she giggled, putting a hand over her mouth as she did so. All the servants around them could only roll their eyes at the obvious couple head over heels for each other. They happily created their fake love story as cheesy as they could make it, hoping the fabricated lies would be enough to hide their true intentions. 

Meanwhile, at the other end of the castle, Arthur was just beginning to wake up. He opened his eyes with a groan, his body felt stiff and broken. He sat up slowly, rubbing his back which ached like hell. He looked around in confusion for a second, finding himself at the guard’s quarters, more specifically Francis’s room. Unfortunately memories came back to him quickly enough and he wanted to slap himself for what he’d done last night. It was as if his behavior had become more and more idiotic with each passing second.   
“Great now all I need is for people to think I’m fucking Francis As if my life isn’t depressing enough” he sighed to himself and slowly got out of bed. He hoped that he could sneak out without anyone seeing him, but the chances of that were pretty slim. To make matters worse, when he tried to stand up, he almost immediately stumbled as a splitting headache made his brain pound. “Of course I have the worst hangover, too” Arthur wondered if it could get any worse. He stopped by the mirror to straighten himself out a little before heading out only to discover he looked absolutely wasted. His eyes were still bloodshot and puffy from all the crying, his hair was a bird’s nest even more than usual, and his lips were dry and cracked. He thought about fixing himself up for a second, but this was still Francis’s room, and if he was honest with himself he couldn’t care less what he looked like. So Arthur cracked open the door and peeked out to make sure the coast was clear before he quickly slid out and started heading towards the servant’s quarters. He didn’t get far before he passed by a few maids huddled in a group, whispering towards each other. Normally, he would’ve ignored trivial gossip, but a certain name caught his attention.  
“Did you hear King Alfred already chose a queen last night? She’s not even that beautiful” one of them whispered.  
“Where was she from again? I can’t believe he ignored Anya like that, she’s the most gorgeous princess in all the kingdom!” another one replied.   
“True, but they really seem in love. I heard they were seen at the gardens late at night, and they kissed!” a third one chimed in with the juiciest part, leaving the other maids squealing or in shock. Arthur sped up, trying to convince himself that their words didn’t bother him. Though a sharp pain told him otherwise as he realized his nails had dug into his skin from how tightly he had balled them into fists. Even so, the physical pain was nothing compared to what he was feeling inside. He almost felt numb because the damage was irreparable at that point, but the only reason he suffered was because a certain glimmer of stupid hope kept rising within him. He wished he could let go, but the hope that he still had a chance prevented him from forgetting about Alfred. Arthur was so buried in his thoughts, he completely forgot where he was going. It was only until he heard the laughter of a certain someone that he became aware of his surroundings. He couldn’t help but turn towards the sound as much as his mind told him it was a terrible idea. It was as if he was drawn to the other’s presence. But curiosity killed the cat as the sight of the soon to be wed pair killed his heart. It haunted him, seeing Alfred so happy and nonchalant with someone else. He didn’t even have the right to feel jealousy or sadness as this was what everyone wanted. A king with his rightful queen to live happily ever after. Arthur buried his feelings deep into his gut, those ugly, irresponsible, selfish feelings. Though there came a point where his body would not be able to handle it all, and he was scared that he was reaching such a point. He could break at any moment now and the worst part is that nobody would be there to rescue him. No, he didn’t want anyone to rescue him. He needed to go far, far away for a while. Yes, maybe then he would be able to make sense of it all. Arthur knew just where to go. 

***  
“..and that’s why you should always make sure to feed the cat before the chickens!” Alfred laughed along with Jean, the pair having the time of their lives as they finished up breakfast.   
“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard! I do wish I could meet your animals one day” Jean sighed happily, though she looked at him with a certain seriousness that made Alfred realize she was slowly forming a plan.   
“Oh, well I’d love to show you around…” he replied. It took awhile for him to make sense of the seemingly coded message, but once he got it his eyes went wide with excitement. If they managed to get out of the castle without guards they would be able to have the privacy they needed. “In fact, why don’t we take a little trip to the countryside, I’ll show you around”  
“That sounds delightful!” Jean squealed, giving him a firm nod in approval to his answer.   
“Well, you can go get ready and I’ll make arrangements with Yao. Meet me by the main entrance once you’re all set” Alfred smiled and stood up from the table. The princess followed his action and leaned in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before prancing back to her room. The gesture caught him a little off guard, but he hoped the servants didn’t notice it. Yes, he was supposed to act like he was in love with her, but the physical affection, while fake, bothered him. He was still missing Arthur like crazy and it didn’t help that he still hadn’t told him their plan. Part of him wanted to stay back at the castle for a while and talk to him about it, but with their facade on the line he couldn’t risk anything. As Alfred walked to his Jack’s quarters, he made it a point to find Arthur as soon as he came back from his trip. He hoped he would forgive him for kissing someone else, but he would probably get a huge lecture first. Alfred smiled at the thought of a cute Arthur getting jealous. He'd make sure to make it up with many kisses though.   
“Ah, Yao! Could I talk to you for a sec?” He called out. Yao stood up from his chair as soon as he recognized the King and nodded, hoping it was about the marriage ceremony.   
“Of course, what is on your mind, your Highness?”  
“As you know I fully plan on marrying Princess Joan, but we feel we should get to know each other a little better before the wedding. How about we take a stroll through the countryside? No need for guards, it’ll be very informal” Alfred tried to sound as persuasive as possible, trying to gloss over the fact that he requested no guards. Unfortunately for him, Yao had sharp ears.   
“N-No guards? Your Highness with all due respect and considering the state of our country I don’t feel it would be safe to navigate such territory without even the simplest of-”  
“Yao,” The king quickly interrupted. “Did you forget I lived there for my entire life until now? Those people are my friends. Sure I might not know every single peasant’s name, but trust me when I say they will never harm me or someone I love.” The Jack sighed softly, wondering how to respectfully deny his orders. But he knew Alfred was a stubborn one, even if he didn’t know everything about the crown, when he had his ideals set there was no changing them.   
“I see...in that case please consider having me join you. I cannot provide as much protection, but my loyalty is to the crown and King. I swore an oath to protect you and I intend on keeping it.” he proposed, looking back at Alfred with a stern expression so he knew this was serious. Alfred could tell then that there was no arguing with him at that point and reluctantly nodded his head.   
“Fine. You can join us, but we would like as much privacy as possible still”  
“Granted. I’ll keep my distance, you won’t even know I’m there.”   
Once the two settled on that agreement, Alfred went back to meet with his “future queen” who looked as lovely as ever in a gorgeous Spadian silk dress. She gave him a smile as soon as she saw him.  
“Are we all set, my King?” she asked, happy to see no guards around.   
“Ah, yes...Yao will be joining us momentarily but we can start heading to the stables.” he replied, hoping she would understand. Joan was puzzled and she looked back at him with furrowed brows for a moment trying to figure out what that was about. But she didn’t dare ask now as she saw the very person walk down the stairs behind them. She chose to trust Alfred had taken care of it and smiled again.  
“Alright, let’s go!” 

***

The ride to the countryside, or more specifically where Alfred had grown up, was around half an hour long. It hadn’t occurred to him before, but as they got closer to his childhood town a strange emotion started bubbling up in his stomach. It was a mix of bittersweet nostalgia, regret, happiness, longing. Before they knew it, they arrived at an all too familiar ranch, just off the main path. The feeling was no longer in his stomach but spread to his whole body like fire. Joan was talking, but as he turned to her he only saw her lips move. He felt frozen in place as he stared back at her, lost in thoughts of the past. Thoughts of “what if?” What if he never became King, what if he never left, what if...he never met Arthur. Would that have been better? Would that get rid of this exhausting pain?   
“Alfred? Alfred...Alfred!” hearing his name snapped him back from his thoughts.   
“Huh? Oh sorry, I was just thinking, ha” the King quickly replied, looking away as he blinked away a few stray tears that had threatened to fall. Joan seemed concerned for a second, but fought to show it as she realized they weren’t completely alone. She quickly took a glance behind them and saw Yao looking quite interested in the village. He stared back at the peasants as much as they stared back at him. She wondered if this was his first time in this part of the country. Of course he had probably visited the “model towns” as they’d like to call them. That is, those towns in the countryside that were on the wealthy side, a distorted view of what real living was like for the peasants. She also wondered how long it had been since he had visited a real village. Joan couldn’t help but smirk in amusement to his wonder.   
“Looks like someone is just beginning to wake up. Maybe this was the right move for him.” she mumbled to Alfred. “He looks completely out of his element.”  
Alfred also sneaked a quick glance towards his Jack, surprised at his obvious shock. “Huh, what do you know…” He had never seen him like this, nothing fazed the wise old Yao. “I doubt he didn’t know it was this bad. The people have been complaining for years, this isn’t new.”  
“Alfred, of course they know about it. But didn’t you feel something when we arrived? Even only a few months living as royalty has had some effect on you. Imagine them living their whole lives eating from silver platters and then entering this world, looking at this with their own eyes, experiencing it first hand. Sure hearing about famine and pain is harsh, but words can only do so much. I think our Jack here is really listening for the first time.” Joan’s eyes then lit up with a sudden idea. “This is perfect! If we can get him to help us it could change everything!”  
Alfred would’ve been excited with her idea, but he feared that there was a mysterious side to Yao they were glossing over.  
“It would be perfect, but I think we should work out the plan a little more before we say anything to him. You know he really does love tradition and loves to preserve it even more. I don’t think it’ll be that simple to persuade him.” he explained, glancing over at Yao again, but quickly regretting it as he was staring back at them now. “Let’s-”  
“Alf- I mean...your Highness?” a voice suddenly called from within the gates of the farm. A relatively short, black-haired man cautiously emerged from where he was working tending to some sheep. As soon as he leaned against the fence and came into view, Alfred’s expression broke into a grin and he immediately hopped off his horse to greet him.   
“Kiku! Oh I really thought I’d never see you again! How are you? How’s everything?” he blurted out excitedly, forgetting any and every form of etiquette he was taught in how to greet peasants. But he never saw Kiku as a peasant, and he never would. He had been his best friend ever since they could crawl and no amount of politics could change that. The other seemed slightly alarmed at his behavior, somehow expecting him to have changed more. Kiku didn’t know how to react at first, but opted to remain respectful as he saw what he assumed were two other royals behind him. He didn’t want to get in trouble, though seeing Alfred’s baby blue eyes gleam just as they did many years ago, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief that he had in fact not changed.   
“I’m doing well, your Majesty. The farm is great, too. We’ve been losing less animals recently.” he replied as he bowed in greeting.   
“You don’t have to-” Alfred cut himself off as he also remembered he wasn’t alone. He bit his lip in frustration, seeing Kiku act all proper and humble felt so wrong. But this was the society they were living in and he was the king. He hoped that wouldn’t be the case for long if their plan went accordingly. “That’s good to hear. Um, is my mother inside?” he mumbled the question, knowing that even if she was, there was no way she’d want to see him. He still remembered the day he left home, how they argued for hours about it. He’d completely broken her trust, made her break her promise of keeping him safe. It wasn’t a connection he believed would ever be repaired. However, seeing Kiku’s reaction, he quickly realized how right he was.   
“She-...I’m sorry, your Highness. There was a sickness going around, we were all devastated. She didn’t have it for long though, it was a quick departure” Kiku avoided eye contact as he delivered the news. No one wanted to hear their mother had died, especially if they ended on bad terms.   
“Oh...I see” Alfred mumbled after a long moment of silence, long enough for guilt to settle deep in his gut. He didn’t regret leaving to reconcile with his past, but he did regret that he would never get the chance to properly apologize. She would never get the chance to see that he would try to make things better for her, that’s why he had chosen to leave. He resented seeing his mother, even as fragile as she was, always giving him the biggest portions of food. She always gave him the best of the best, treated him like her own son so that he never really questioned that he wasn’t. And all of that just for her to leave like this. It wasn’t fair.   
“I’m really sorry Alfred.” Kiku tried to comfort him again, but he also glanced nervously at the other two royals behind him. “Why...why have you come here today?” he figured changing the subject would help him out. The King perked up a little and glanced back as well.   
“Ah, we’re here on a little tour!” He beckoned them to come closer. “This is Yao, my Jack and this is Princess Joan, my….future bride” Alfred hoped that introducing her as such wouldn’t alarm Kiku too much. He knew him better than anyone and it’s needless to say he knew he wouldn’t be interested in a woman like that. He could see the shock in his eyes, but for now he could only smile awkwardly and wait until he could explain what was really going on later. 

“It is an honor to meet you both” Kiku took a long bow in respect as Yao and Joan came closer.   
“Yao, Princess, this is my good friend Kiku. He was my childhood friend, we’ve known each other for as long as I can remember basically.” Alfred chimed in, his younger self would never imagine he’d ever be in this position. Introducing his best friend to the chairman on policies while he was the actual king.   
“So nice to meet you, Kiku!” Joan cheerfully greeted him. While innocent enough on the outside, she had been scanning the area for potential places to have the discussion of their plan in. As well as thinking up ways for them to slowly convince Yao of what they were trying to accomplish. Everything needed to be carefully calculated, they could not risk settling with failure at any point. “As his Highness mentioned, he’s showing me around where he grew up! I would love to see more of the place. Maybe have a chat? It’s not often that I’m even allowed to be near here.” She turned towards Alfred with an eager look which he thankfully understood and he followed along.   
“Yes, that’s a great idea. How about that?” he agreed with a vigorous nod. Kiku looked a little uncertain as he glanced from one royal to the next, noting Yao seemed unfazed. He definitely wanted to be a good friend, but what Alfred stood for now and what the royals stood for was something he and all the town despised. Even something as small as showing them around he felt guilty about. He remembered when him and Alfred had long talks about reforming the entire country. Countless talk about how to bring justice to the peasants and working class, how to make sure everyone was treated equally and fairly once and for all. But now, Alfred had grown into the thing they once both pledged to stand against: the monarchy. The thing was though, he seemed so comfortable in his place. That got him thinking. The Alfred he knew would never settle for this. He lived in poverty all his life, he knew their struggles, the inequality, the grief. There was no way Alfred was happy right now, and that’s why Kiku smiled back and said,   
“Of course, just follow me right this way please. I’ve been taking care of what was once your Majesty’s farm.”


End file.
